Keeper of The Light
by The Oracle
Summary: My sequel to Escape From Necross...Fox and Krystal's daughter, now 17 years old, discovers a great power hidden inside of her own body. Read my other stories before this one for it to make sense. Rated T for violence, and some strong language.
1. Chapter 1

This is my sequel story to "Escape from Necross", which was a sequel to "Like a Vixen Scorned" Be sure to read both stories in order, as well as the short story, "Bedtime Stories" before reading this one, for it all to make sense…

This story utilizes characters from the Starfox series, and uses names, action moves, and other material inspired by "Kamen Rider Kuuga", "Ultraman Nexus", and the Dragonball series. I do not own the rights to any of these franchises, nor do I intend to profit by them.

Enjoy!

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"Rose!" Fox shouted as he ran out to his daughter…he was older now, a little grey in parts of his fur, but he was still quite active on his feet. He held out a device that looked like a watch, an emergency communicator of sorts.

"Oh!" The 17-year-old Vixen's eyes went wide, as she took the device. "Thanks dad! I almost forgot." She slapped it onto her wrist, her black and red vest covering her chest, her red-furred arms exposed as she also wore tight black pants, her dark hair short and well maintained, much Like Krystal's was at her age.

"You can't be too careful, Rose…" Krystal smiled, her hair a bit longer as she showed a few signs of age, but was still as lovely as ever…as far as Fox was concerned anyway. "I know you've been flying these cruisers for a while, but they still seem very wild and unpredictable to your father and I."

A young male fox suddenly came next to Rose. "Don't worry about a thing, Mrs. McCloud." He spoke. "She's in good hands."

Fox smiled and nodded. "It's good to hear you say that, Jimmy."

"Your mother and I will be keeping an eye on the both of you, anyway." Krystal responded, Jimmy's mother being Topaz.

Rose smiled and adjusted her suit some. "Ok then…let's get going, Cuz…" Jimmy smiled and nodded as he walked to his cruiser with her. They weren't biological cousins, of course, but just as Topaz and Krystal now saw each other as sisters, Rose and Jimmy took to seeing each other as cousins fairly early in their lives, Rose about a year older than Jimmy, who was the product of the marriage between Topaz and Fulton Reese, that happened soon after her birth.

Jimmy led Rose along as Fox and Krystal looked on with smiles, his slightly taller form dressed in a jacket, with a t-shirt underneath, and jeans, his boots thumping gently along the metal floor as he got into the seat of his cruiser, which largely resembled a motorcycle, with two big thrusters on the back.

"Well, you two have fun out there at the lake." Fox smiled, waving his daughter off, along with Krystal, as Rose smiled and nodded to him.

"We will! Bye dad! Love ya, mom!" She fired up the thrusters on her cruiser, as Jimmy soon followed suit, the two teenage foxes soon taking off from the base, and flying into the blue sky, the green ground and buildings below them.

Fox grinned and looked back to his wife. "She's always so eager, always wanting to go on these little adventures…she kinda reminds me of you." He chuckled a bit.

Krystal smiled softly. "We've done quite well with her, I think…lots of courage, but plenty of common sense in her as well."

The couple began to walk off together as Krystal smiled to him. "Hmmmm…this day's really put me in the mood for something sweet…what do you say we get some ice cream?"

Fox grinned slightly and nodded. "Sure…we're both getting older anyway…I don't mind putting on a little more weight…and you'd still look good with a few more pounds on you."

Krystal giggled and kissed her husband's cheek, the two of them strolling away from the base, still very much a happily married couple after many years.

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Deep within the ground of New Cerinia, the same bizarre object that had landed there years and years ago, was finally beginning lose hold of what was inside of it…as of this day, the 500 years had fully passed, and the seal was about to break.

The cracks in the rock had grown more and more numerous over time, as a glow was now beginning to emanate from under the rock, red and bright, as it illuminated the cavern it had burrowed itself into.

With a powerful, sudden blast, the entire middle of the rock blew apart, leaving a big hole in the center, as a collection of small, red orbs, started to emerge from this hole, glowing softly, as they all scattered off in different directions, leaving the underground caverns quickly.

One of these orbs went up to the surface, a lake nearby, as a flash came over it. The orb stayed in place as a shaft of red energy came over it from beneath the ground. When it pulled back, the orb, a Grongi spirit, now had a physical form, that of a snarling, bipedal, bat-like creature, with black fur, glowing red eyes, long claws, sharp teeth on its long muzzle, and wings below the arms, its fur dark and knotted, as its long black hair obscured parts of its fearsome face.

A distorted male voice suddenly called to the Grongi, as it stood at attention.

"You have been chosen, as the first to receive a physical manifestation…treasure your body once more, and make these pitiful creatures remember who we are, and why they should fear us!"

The creature shrieked a bit as it nodded slowly, and took off into the sky quickly, extending its wings.

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As luck (or bad luck) would have it, Rose and Jimmy were piloting their cruisers towards the same lake, looking around, all smiles as they surveyed the unspoiled pieces of land on this part of New Cerinia.

"This camp-out's gonna be great!" Jimmy said aloud into his communicator, his cruiser in front of Rose's. "Our moms know all the best spots."

"That's probably because this place is so much like their old home." Rose giggled a bit. "There're certain advantages to having the last two full blooded Cerinians in the universe as our moms!"

Jimmy chuckled a bit and nodded, as he then looked down, and saw something odd on his scanner.

"Hey Rose.." he spoke up. "Check out your scanner for a second…"

The red vixen nodded slowly as she looked down, seeing an odd blip, not too far from where they were. She furrowed her brow slowly. "What is that thing?…"

"I have no clue…" Jimmy shook his head. "But keep your eyes open…it looks like it's headed this way…"

Rose nodded slowly as she kept a tight grip on her controls, looking to her left and to her right, as Jimmy readied the weapons systems on his cruiser, just in case whatever this thing was, wasn't friendly.

The vixen looked around again to her left and right, before she looked and saw the strange object flying straight towards her, shrieking!

Rose gasped and quickly pulled down, narrowly avoiding a collision with the creature as it growled and flapped its large black wings, turning around as soon as it passed the vixen.

"Oh my god!" Jimmy gasped at the sheer size of the creature, and readied his blasters. "Hang tight Rose! I'll swat this thing for you!"

Rose nodded quickly, as she swerved to avoid the advances of this monster, that seemed to be tailing her for some unknown reason, turning to the left, then to the right, as the creature swooped in more than once, trying to make a grab for her, as Jimmy fired his blasters every so often, being careful in not to hit Rose's cruiser, but missing the creature every time.

Jimmy grunted and growled in frustration, as he tried to get this creature away from his friend, Rose also swerving once more, off to the right, taking out a wrench in desperation, and throwing it with her right hand, smacking the monster right in the muzzle.

The creature shrieked in pain, as it snarled and flew straight towards Rose, its body suddenly covering itself in flames, as Rose gasped and tried to fly away. Jimmy breathed heavily as he fired and fired with his blaster only to have the creature fly past each shot, and head right towards Rose's cruiser.

Rose saw no way out now, as she covered herself wither her arms, and hoping it was all a bad dream, remembering what her mother told her all those years ago, and instinctively called out the name of her dream world protector.

"KUUGA!"

A shaft of light suddenly came over her body as she yelled this out, as the creature ripped through the air, and collided with her cruiser, making it explode into millions of pieces.

Jimmy cried out loud "ROSE!", hardly able to believe that his friend and "cousin" was now gone. He wiped away the tears that were starting to surface now, as he turned his growing rage over to the creature that had taken her cruiser down.

"You son of a bitch!" Jimmy screamed to the monster, before he let loose with a furious barrage of blaster shots from his cruiser. The creature turned, as one of them clipped him right on the side, growling as it zipped past Jimmy's cruiser, and took out one of its thrusters with a swipe of its claws.

Smoke was now billowing from the back of the cruiser, as it began to twirl out of control, and fall helplessly through the sky, towards the ground. Jimmy gripped the controls tightly, and screamed out to the sky as he prepared for what he believed would now be his last seconds of life…

That was, until something suddenly broke his fall…

Jimmy slowly opened his eyes, and looked down, as two white furred hands were now holding onto the front end of his cruiser. Attached to these two hands were long arms, partially covered in metal gauntlets, as he looked down and saw the strong, white furred vixen with long black hair that was clad only in a metal breast plate, a white leather skirt, and metal shin guards, all of them displaying a strange form of writing.

The fox was also shocked to discover that he was still in the air, and that the vixen who saved him from crashing had wings…long white wings, almost like those of an angel, as she looked to him, with white, glowing, pupil free eyes, and nodded, flapping her wings softly as she lowered the cruiser to the ground safely, showing off tremendous strength in doing so.

Jimmy just looked on, completely dumbfounded, as the strange winged vixen looked up at the bat creature, which snarled and roared at her loudly, consuming its body in flame once more as it charged down towards both of them. The vixen responded by extending her wings, and quickly taking off in the opposite direction.

The two creatures met in mid-air, as the vixen quickly ducked an attack, and came around with her right foot, spinning as she let out a distorted, echoing "Kyyyaaaaa!" The kick smacking into the back of the creature's head, as it grunted and went flying down into the ground below, hitting it hard as dirt and grass flew everywhere.

Jimmy simply ran from the wreckage and looked up, seeing the creature fly back towards the vixen, swinging at her with right hand claws, only to have her duck, as it took a kick to its right side from the vixen, then swiped back with its left hand claws. This time, the winged vixen grabbed its left arm with her left hand, and brought down her right hand in a chop, severing the creature's left arm just past the elbow.

The creature shrieked out in pain as green and yellow goop spouted from the wound, while the vixen smacked it in the head with a right hook, sending the monster crashing into the ground once more, before she raised her right hand close to her head, holding up her index and middle fingers…

"Hoooohhhhhhhh…" She softly grunted to herself, in the same echoing voice, as energy began to build up in her hand, purple and glowing, as the bat creature lurched its way back to its feet, too weak to attack now, as the vixen suddenly threw her fingers down, pointing to the creature…

"Kyaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" She screamed out, as a beam of the same purple energy shot down towards the weakened bat, piercing its left shoulder, and leaving a hole in its body. The Bat screeched, and clawed at itself with its remaining hand, as green and yellow goop began to bubble up along the hole, and consume its body, slowly making the monster melt.

Jimmy looked on as the creature's body smoked and bubbled, screeching to the very end as it was soon reduced to a steaming puddle of goop, a red orb, the Grongi's spirit, escaping from it as it tried to leave the scene…

The vixen then held out her right paw, as a strong force overcame the orb, pulling it right towards her. She caught the orb in her paw, and held it for a second, before focusing on the presence of the slab below the earth, and threw the orb in its direction.

The slab glowed with white light below the ground now, as it slowly began to reconstruct itself at the middle, just in time for the arrival of the orb, which went into the slab by the will of the vixen, as a new seal came over it.

The vixen landed next to the puddle that used to be the Grongi's physical form, as she looked over to Jimmy, who stood and watched, utterly amazed at what had just transpired.

With that, the vixen slowly looked up to the sky, and extended her arms to it, a shaft of light coming over her form as she vanished, leaving Rose standing in her place, as she softly sighed and fell over onto her front.

"Rose!" Jimmy exclaimed, as he ran over to her, checking her pulse, as she was unconscious.

"She's alive…thank god…" He sighed gently, as he carried her over to the side of his cruiser, as he got out his tool kit. "You hang in there, Rose…as soon as I fix this thruster, I'm gonna get you to a hospital as soon as I can…and see if we can make some sense out of…whatever the hell that all was…"

Jimmy worked feverishly, as Rose lay there, asleep…

In her mind, she was now wandering through what looked like a vast valley of mists, looking for someone, anyone, who could explain to her what had happened, not being able to make full sense of it all.

She then looked ahead, and saw the figure of the winged vixen standing in front of her, an aura glowing around her now, as Rose stood in awe of the beautiful, and powerful creature, her wings flexing gently behind her.

Rose soon saw another form emerge from behind the winged vixen, an older, but beautiful blue-furred vixen, who had a slight resemblance to her mother…in fact, she soon recognized this Cerinian from the descriptions that Krystal had given her years ago…

"Grandmother?…" Rose blinked a few times, correctly identifying Krystal's mother, Aida.

"Kuuga welcomes you, child…" she spoke. "As do I…"


	2. The Power of Faith

Time had passed, and Jimmy had successfully repaired his cruiser, taking Rose to the hospital nearby as he had promised. The vixen now lay in a bed, still unconscious, as a feline nurse was treating Jimmy for his minor scrapes.

At this time, Topaz came into the white room, and made a beeline for her son, along with an older Fulton.

"My poor boy!" She exclaimed as she walked to him, the nurse still treating Jimmy as she requested the two parents stay back.

"Hey mom…" Jimmy smiled weakly.

"Why do you have to constantly worry me like this, Jimmy?" Topaz giggled a bit, just glad to see he was okay. "I only have so many hairs to pull out of my head over you."

"Now, now, let him be, hon." Fulton patted her back gently. "He's been through enough…I'm just glad he's alive…" he looked around. "Where's Rose, son?"

Jimmy motioned to a bed behind him, as Fulton nodded and waved her parents over, who were now standing in the background.

Fox and Krystal ran over to the bed where Rose was lying, where a German Sheppard doctor was checking on her already. Fox immediately gripped a hold of her hand.

"Rose…oh my god, Rose…" Krystal kissed her daughter's head softly, wondering why she wasn't responding.

"She'll be ok, Mrs. McCloud…" The doctor spoke, as he wrote a few things down on his book. "All her vitals are normal…she's just taking a little time out."

"When is she gonna wake up?" Fox asked, concerned.

"Soon, we think…" The doctor responded, as Krystal immediately turned her attention to Jimmy, who was watching this all with his parents, the Nurse finally finished treating him as she applied a small bandage to his head.

"What happened out at that lake, Jimmy?" Krystal asked. " I haven't been able to get a straight answer from anyone."

Jimmy shook his head as his parents looked on at him, expectantly. "I don't know…we were just attacked by this…thing…it looked like a bat, almost…it destroyed Rose's cruiser, and just before it would have killed her, she turned into this…other thing…"

Krystal's eyes widened a bit. "Turned into something?…What do you mean? Tell me more."

Jimmy sighed, as he put his hand on his head, trying to remember…"She still looked like a vixen kinda…but she had white fur, and armor…and she had wings! She could fly suddenly!"

"And what happened to this bat creature?" Krystal grilled him. "Did this vixen defeat him."

"Yeah…" Jimmy nodded. "She melted him down into a gross puddle, and then captured his spirit, I think…"

Krystal immediately froze up upon hearing this, as Fox walked up behind her.

"Hon?…Krystal?…What's wrong?"

"I don't believe this." She started, softly. "They've come back…I don't know how, but they've come back. The 500 years have passed, and New Cerinia has inherited them somehow."

"Who?" Fox asked her. "Who's come back?"

Topaz gasped as she suddenly remembered the legends. "Krystal, you don't mean…"

"Yes…" Krystal nodded slowly. "The Grongi have returned."

Jimmy blinked repeatedly. "The Grongi?…" he looked over to his mother. "But I thought those things were just a myth. Just a part of that story you used to tell me, about the birth of old Cerinian civilization."

"I had my doubts about its truth as well, Jimmy…" Topaz responded.

"As did I…" Fox nodded, with a light smile. "But my wife is so adamant that it all really happened, that I've had no choice but to believe her."

Krystal nodded. "And if that was a really a Grongi that attacked, then that must mean…Rose!" she pointed to her daughter as she looked to Fox. "Her hand! Look at her right hand!"

Fox nodded as he quickly went over to the side of the bed, gently lifting Rose's right hand up in his hands, as he slowly examined it…sure enough, he found something new on the back of her hand, a marking…it was a strange symbol, three-pronged, that looked almost like a black torch, exuding black lines that looked like rays of light.

"Unbelievable…" Fox proclaimed, gently, showing the symbol to his wife as she looked at it closely.

"That's it…" Krystal's eyes widened. "That's the exact symbol…the mark of Kuuga!"

Everyone now looked on at Rose in stunned silence, as she slept peacefully…

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Rose stood, still in her dream state, in front of the figures of Kuuga, and her grandmother, Aida, who looked beautiful, and sported the same, longer hair that Krystal was now growing, reaching her own later years, and was dressed in traditional Cerinian garb, as Kuuga looked on, her wings folded at her sides as she crossed her arms, her eyes still glowing white as she looked on silently.

"I know this is all so sudden for you, Rose…" Aida spoke from the silence, her voice echoing in the area. "But the fact of the matter is, the tradition continues today, and you have inherited the light…it is, therefore, your duty to see that its purpose is fulfilled once more, for another 500 years."

Rose looked on, in total disbelief, as she slowly began to remember what happened at the lake…

"Wow…the story…the secret my mother told me…it's true, all of it…there really is a Kuuga." She gasped. "And I'm the new carrier for her."

"You're very clever, Rose…" Aida smiled as she nodded. "Just like your mother."

"But…what are you doing here with Kuuga, grandmother?" Rose tilted her head.

"Because I was properly trained as a priestess, child." Aida responded. "Unlike you, my consciousness can handle the power of Kuuga's true voice…" She walked around Kuuga's form a bit. "You see, in the old days, the Oorgi yearned to teach us on Cerinia their secrets of the universe, but the vast majority of the mortals couldn't handle their voices when they tried to speak to them, they would crush, destroy their fragile minds. Only a select few mortals could withstand them, and were thus charged with the task of teaching others on how to handle the voice of an Oorgi. So that is where the priesthood originated."

"I see…" Rose nodded. "So Kuuga's going to talk to me through you?"

Kuuga nodded gently as Aida responded. "That's correct, Rose. And Kuuga wants to tell you, that what you're about to go through will not be easy…it never has been in any of these times, but every other predecessor who has received Kuuga's power, has been able to succeed, and she has nothing but faith in you continuing this trend."

Aida finished her sentence, as Rose saw images in the area around them, all of them showing each of her ancestors summoning Kuuga, each of them extending their right hands into the sky. She then looked to her right hand, and saw the mark that now resided on the back of it, rubbing it a little.

Aida spoke once more. "Your hand now bears Kuuga's symbol, that of the everlasting light that shall always come and conquer the darkness in times of need. The symbol will glow whenever Grongi are present in your area."

Rose then saw a replay of her first battle with a Grongi, seeing herself as Kuuga, finishing off the Grongi with the energy beam that made it melt. Aida spoke again. "You have already seen one of Kuuga's major weapons in action, the deconstruction ray, which obliterates the physical form of a Grongi, from the inside out…you will soon learn to utilize her other weapons as well, such as her Bow of Triumph, and her mighty Sword of Justice."

Kuuga then looked to Aida, who nodded and looked to Rose once more. "Kuuga also thinks it's important to tell you about the most valuable weapon you must possess in this war…faith…"

"Faith?" Rose tilted her head again.

Aida nodded. "You are going to run into some trying times…the Grongi are ruthless, and will stop at nothing to attain what they desire, which is to consume as many mortals as they can." She walked over to Rose, and rested her hands on those of her granddaughter. "You have to believe…believe in your own inner strength, and that shall in turn give Kuuga the power to fight through you…the stronger your faith in the light, the stronger Kuuga shall become."

Rose nodded softly as Aida slowly stroked her hands. "Can you do this, child?"

The scarlet furred vixen looked up, and nodded with a smile. "I can, grandmother…and I shall."

With that, Aida smiled, as her image, along with Kuuga's, began to fade.

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"I think she's waking up…" Fox smiled as he patted Rose's hand, watching her, as Krystal ran over to the opposite side, stroking her daughter's head slowly as she breathed in gently and began to shift in her bed, slowly opening her eyes.

Rose grunted gently, as the bright lights of the hospital penetrated her vision, looking up and seeing her parents smiling down at her, as Jimmy watched with his family in the background.

"Mom…Dad…" She smiled softly as she lay back in her bed.

"Rose…" Krystal sighed happily, kissing her on the head.

"How are you doing, kid?" Fox smiled, rubbing her hand.

Rose simply reached up and hugged her mom gently. "I missed you guys out there…"

"Out there?" Fox scratched his head as Krystal continued to hug her. "What do you mean by that, hon?"

"I was in this odd spiritual world…" Rose responded. "That Oorgi mom told me about in the story, Kuuga, was there…along with Grandma."

Krystal looked at Rose with stunned eyes. "My mother?…you saw her?"

"Yeah…" Rose nodded. "She said that my mind couldn't handle Kuuga's voice, so she was there to speak for her."

"What did she say to you, dear?" Krystal asked, rubbing Rose's arm gently.

Rose started slowly. "She talked to me about using Kuuga's power, and…"

Before she could continue, Fox's wrist communicator started beeping. Fox sighed slightly and answered the call, which came from a fellow Starfox member he had helped to train.

"This better be good, Fang…" Fox answered firmly.

"Oh, it is, Fox…" Fang responded. "We've got a disturbance breaking out in the downtown area, not far from where you are now…something's causing some major destruction down there…"

Fox furrowed his brow. "What kind of thing?…"

Fang shook his head. "I'm not sure…whatever it is, it's big, and pissed off. I'd say it's a "warp" addict, but I've never seen those guys lifting cruisers like weights, and throwing them before."

"Wow…" Fox's eyes widened, before he nodded. "Ok, I'm on my way…" He looked to his wife and child. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Krystal nodded and kissed Fox gently as he walked out, waving to Topaz and Fulton as they stayed with their son. Rose sat up slowly as she watched her father leave the room.

"I sure hope this isn't what I think it is…" She thought to herself…

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Out on the street, Fang stood on guard with a team of New Cerinian officers , holding guns out towards the odd, angry being on the streets. It looked like a Rhino, only its skin was black, and it seemed much more nimble than a normal rhino would be, running from corner to corner, smashing whatever it could get its hands on.

"What do you suggest we do?" A nervous officer asked the older Coyote.

"Well…" Fang started. "…Do we have any knockout gas?"

The officer nodded "Yes…"

Fang nodded quickly. "Well, I'd probably get him with that first, wouldn't you?"

"Yes sir!" The officer nodded again, motioning to another officer, who loaded a canister of gas into a gun, aiming it at the angry rhino, and firing. The rhino snorted as it saw the canister flying towards it, and swung its right arm quickly, knocking the canister back towards the group as it smacked the officer right in the body armor, making him grunt as he fell to his back.

"Ok buddy…" Fang sneered as he readied his gun. "You wanna play games with us?…Try deflecting these babies!" He then let loose with a barrage of laser blasts, aimed right towards the rhino. The rhino only stumbled a bit as each blast bounced right off its thick, black skin.

Fox flew onto the scene on his cruiser, as the angry rhino charged right towards Fang and his group, jumping out of the way as the creature knocked over a few banking terminals instead, making sparks fly.

"Man, that thing looks tough!" Fox said to himself, as he got out of the cruiser and readied his own weapons.

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Back in the hospital, Krystal sat by her daughter's side, as Jimmy and his parents were now in another room, talking.

Rose suddenly lifted her right hand, as if by instinct. Her eyes were wide open now, as she and her mother saw the symbol on her hand glow rhythmically, making a thumping sound, like a heartbeat, at the same time.

The scarlet vixen then rolled out of the bed, still in her clothing from before, as she walked towards a window, Krystal silently watching her.

Rose then remembered what she saw in her dream state…the images of her ancestors, each of them raising their hands to the sky and summoning Kuuga's powers. She then looked to her mother, who sensed this thought in her daughter, and slowly nodded to her in encouragement.

With that, Rose ran out into a balcony nearby, and looked at her right hand.

"I really can do this, grandmother…" She spoke softly. "You just watch…I'll make you all proud of me!"

She then slowly raised her hand to the heavens, extending all of her finger as the symbol on her hand glowed brightly, creating a light that could be seen from miles around.

"KUUUUUGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

In that moment, as she yelled for the Oorgi warrior, the light traveled down her hand, and quickly enveloped her entire body, her figure soon vanishing from the balcony…

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Back on the streets, Fang, and his crew, were all struggling to bring down the rhino Grongi, all of their weapons failing as they only succeeded in making the beast angrier, which led to the destruction of more property, flames coming up from the wreckage of cruisers it had thrown around.

Fox picked out an orb-like grenade, and threw it at the Grongi, exploding as soon as it made contact with the creature. He watched as the smoke cleared, only to find the Grongi not only unaffected, but also angry as ever. It stomped a few times, and roared as it charged right towards Fox, who fired with his gun over and over, trying to find a weak point.

Before the Grongi could make contact with Fox, however, something flashed in from nowhere, and grabbed a hold of his shoulders.

Fox covered himself with his arms as he braced for impact…then lowered his arms, seeing the figure of the winged, white-furred vixen, now grunting in her echoing voice as she restrained the Grongi from in front.

"Rose?…" Fox watched as he spoke, looking on in disbelief, seeing the form that Jimmy had described to him from earlier.

Kuuga looked over to him, and nodded slowly, before she quickly spun, and extended her right leg in a back kick, sending the rhino Grongi flying in an amazing display of power, as it tumbled into the walls of a nearby building, knocking the walls over with its bulk.

The Grongi struggled back to its feet, Fox and the others only being able to watch, as Kuuga jumped and extended her wings, flying down towards the rhino as she prepared to tackle him a second time, only to be met with a strong backhand from the Grongi's right arm, sending her flying as she grunted, and tumbled into some refuse bins along the street.

The rhino grunted and snorted as he charged after Kuuga, roaring as he was met with the vixen's strong arms, grabbing his shoulders as the Grongi smashed her through a few glass windows nearby, trying to shake her off, as she attempted to push him back, finding it exceedingly difficult, as the rhino finally managed to grab her left arm with his right, and flip her over onto the ground with a mighty throw, and stood right on her neck with a strong foot as he still held her arm.

Kuuga choked, and struggled as best she could, not seeing any way out of this…until a voice suddenly chimed in her mind, Rose's mind to be exact.

"You MUST have faith, child…" Aida's voice reverberated in her head. "Remember…the stronger your faith, the stronger Kuuga shall become."

As these words went through her head, Kuuga's eyes began to glow more brightly than ever, as she suddenly curled her legs up in front of her, her feet pressing against the chest of the rhino Grongi, as she used her grasped left arm to pull the creature down, taking its foot off of her throat, as she kicked the heavy monster off with both her feet.

The rhino tumbled onto its back, as Fox marveled at this display of strength, watching his transformed daughter as she got up and spread her arms, her wings extending, and beginning to flap steadily, creating large gusts of wind, as the rhino attempted to charge her again, only to come up against tremendous resistance from the wind, as it eventually blew the beast back.

Kuuga then ran in as the rhino got back to its feet, and smacked it across the muzzle with a right hook, sending it stumbling backwards before it came at her with a punch of its own. Kuuga dodged the clumsy attempt at a blow, and smashed it in the muzzle again with a hard left uppercut.

The rhino then suddenly jumped backward, and with a few scrapes of its feet, it charged her once more, Kuuga responding by charging right towards the beast. The two met right in the middle of the street, as Kuuga quickly ducked to avoid its horn, and punched hard with her right hand…so hard, that her fist and arm went right through the rhino's stomach, and out through its back.

Kuuga pulled back as her arm was covered in black goop, the Grongi gasping and clutching its middle, stumbling with a big hole in its body now. The Oorgi warrior then extended her left arm, her right arm reaching towards it, then pulling back slowly, energy appearing on her hands, in the form of a bow and arrow, the arrow getting brighter as she prepared to launch it.

She then suddenly yelled out in her echoing voice, as she shot the arrow towards the stumbling Grongi, smacking it right in the back as it grunted, and roared out in pain loudly, light energy overtaking its body, and eventually making its physical form explode.

Kuuga then extended her right hand once more, as the orb of the Grongi's spirit was pulled right into it. She quickly caught the orb, and once again, tossed it in the direction of the slab, where it would soon be re-sealed.

The winged vixen then turned to Fox, slowly nodding to him in recognition, before extending her wings and taking off into the sky, heading back to the hospital.

"Fox…" Fang ran up to his partner's side. "Fox, what was that thing?" He scratched his head, "And why did it just nod to you?'

Fox sighed as he patted Fang's back. "Walk with me, Fang…I've got a lot to tell you about what's been happening today…"

Fang nodded slowly as he walked off with him. Unbeknownst to anyone, there was another pair of red glowing eyes, which had been watching the whole battle that had just transpired in the streets.

"Impressive…" The dark, distorted voice attached to the eyes spoke. "Still as impressive as ever…"

With that, the shadowy figure behind the red eyes slowly shrunk away, vanishing from the scene…


	3. Mysterious Foe

Another day had passed, and word had spread through New Cerinia about this strange being, the one that had come from out of nowhere and slain the evil rhino that had been terrorizing the streets. But only Fox McCloud knew that it was his own daughter out there on that day, as he was currently walking to the hospital to escort Rose and his wife back to their home. Although normalcy seemed impossible to attain at this point, he was going to do his damndest to find something close to it.

Rose stepped out of the hospital slowly with her mother at her side, the sunlight bright in her eyes as it penetrated the trees planted around the entrance, the stone walkway smooth beneath her feet.

Fox smiled and hugged his daughter as she approached him, back in her freshly cleaned vest and skirt. "How are you doing, kid?"

"I'm all right." Rose smiled to her father. "My mom's been saving me from the wretched food this place gives you."

"You're taking part in an incredible quest, Rose…" Krystal smiled. "You deserve quality food, from where I sit."

Fox chuckled a bit and nodded, as he walked to his wife and hugged her gently, before the peace of their moment was disturbed by the form of young male wolf, about Rose's age, running towards the family.

"Rose!" he yelled out to his friend.

"Kevin! Hey!" Rose smiled as she waved to the wolf, who was quickly approaching her with a card.

"Jimmy wants apologize for not being here. He's off helping his dad with some repair work." Kevin smiled as he caught his breath, and walked up to Rose, presenting her with the card. "But this is from him and me, as well as from Cassie, Jackie, and Judy."

Rose smiled as she opened the envelope, finding a get well soon card inside, as well as a gift card for "The Supernova", a popular hangout for her friends, good for 25 credits.

"Well thank you, Kevin." Rose grinned as she held the card. "I can definitely find a use for this thing."

"Be smart about it though…" Fox glared at her just a bit. "I sometimes think you spend a little too much time in that place."

"Oh, leave her alone…" Krystal giggled as she gave Fox a playful swat on the arm. "She's young. That's what young people do, is spend a lot of time in one place. I seem to remember hearing that you once had an affinity for certain popular hangouts…"

Fox blushed just a little, knowing exactly what his wife was talking about, as he simply nodded and looked on, watching his daughter walk off with Kevin as she waved to her parents. She walked up the paths that lead to middle of the town, and the "Supernova".

"I'll see you later Mom! Dad!" she waved as she left with Kevin, able to forget all about her mission, at least for now.

As the two teenagers walked, Kevin scratched his head a bit, looking over to Rose as his silver fur shone in the light, dressed in his favorite pair of jeans, and wearing a white jacket with black trim.

"So, what exactly happened out there at that lake?" Kevin furrowed his brow some. "All Jimmy's been telling me is that some 'thing' came out of nowhere and attacked the two of you."

Rose nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's pretty much what happened…whatever it was, it was angry, and black, and it had wings." She tried her best to seem ignorant as to what this creature really was. She wasn't sure she wanted her other friends to know about what she had become. She was already wearing a pair of black gloves, trying to cover up the telltale symbol of Kuuga on her right hand.

Kevin nodded slowly. "So where is this creature now? Jimmy won't tell me anything about what happened after it attacked you two. He just says he can't remember what happened right after the attack."

Rose tried to think of something quickly, as she walked. "I remember it came right at me, and busted up my cruiser badly…then something came in from out of nowhere, and saved both of us."

"Saved?" Kevin thought about this for a moment, and then remembered all of the rumors, and eyewitness reports, as he almost jumped. "Wait a minute…did this thing that saved you happen to have white fur, black hair, and wings like an angel?"

"Yeah…" She feigned surprise for a moment. "Why?"

Kevin held out his arms as he exclaimed, "Because just yesterday, that very same creature came out of nowhere, and took out this pissed-off rhino guy who was running amok in the streets!"

"Really now…" Rose tried really hard to make it look like she knew nothing about this, running a paw along her hair.

"Yeah, it's been all over the news lately." Kevin nodded as he strolled with the young vixen, thinking more about these events. "If this is the same creature that saved you, then that must mean there's more of these bad creatures around. Which must mean that something really big is about to go down…"

Rose shuddered a bit. "Geez, I hope not…my parents have told me repeatedly about how we got this planet…I'd hate to see it all go to waste, just for the sake of a big war."

"Well, what are you gonna do?…" Kevin shrugged as he walked with his friend. "Wars happen…whether you want them to or not…that's what my dad always said."

"Really?" Rose tilted her head some. "That doesn't sound like something Mr. Ewing would say."

"Oh, not my adopted dad…" Kevin shook his head slightly. "That's what my real dad said…at least according to my real mom before she died." Kevin's true mother, a wolfess named Myra, was an exotic dancer who went from base to base, entertaining everyone from soldiers to mercenaries. She never spoke much of his father, apparently having lost contact with him before he was born. She carried him from one place to another, before she caught an infectious foreign disease. Bravely, she chose to have Kevin separated from her, so he would not catch it, before she succumbed to the illness soon after.

Rose simply nodded as he walked on with Kevin, before sensing something in the atmosphere…something off. Her symbol was glowing underneath her glove as she could feel its tingle. Danger was nearby.

"Uhhhh, Kevin…" she spoke up, before separating from him. "I just remembered something I left at home…you go on ahead of me."

Kevin blinked as she began to go down another path. "Oh…ok then." He smiled lightly and waved. "See you later, then."

Rose walked off deeper into the other trail, lost in her own thoughts now. She took off her glove, and confirmed her symbol was glowing on her hand. She kept her eyes wide open, as she walked up and down the small hills, trees at both of her sides along the path.

Her keen ears picked up what sounded like crying, in the distance. She then ran off into the hills, breathing heavily as the ground began to slope up a bit. She then saw smoke billowing up in the distance, heading in its direction.

She eventually came upon what had once been a family campsite. Clothes, food, and even fur, were strewn about, as she saw two bodies. One was a male cougar, the other his mate. She heard the crying again, closer to her this time. The vixen ran over to some bushes and pulled them apart, finding a little cougar girl, about 7 years old. The little girl shuddered and hugged herself, crying as tears came down her cheeks.

"Oh my god…" Rose gasped, leaning closer to the girl. "Who did all of this?"

The girl cried and whimpered as she simply answered "A monster…"

Rose knew exactly what she meant at this point, as she reached out to her with her right paw. "Come on…I'm not gonna hurt you. I wanna get you out of here before anything happens to you too…come on…"

The girl just sat there for a moment, but then decided she didn't want to stay. She gently took Rose's hand, as the vixen scooped her up gently. She carried her, covering her face as they passed the bodies of her deceased parents. She looked to her left and right, as she walked with the girl into an open field nearby.

"Mommy…" The girl sniffled sadly. "Daddy…"

"Shhh…" Rose comforted her as best she could. "I know, it's a sad time now…what's your name?"

"Amy…" The girl cougar whimpered.

Rose nodded. "I'm gonna get you out of here Amy…I know people who can take care of you." She stroked the girl's back. "It's gonna be ok…"

But before the vixen could take the child any further, she sensed something coming at her from behind. She quickly stepped off the right side, as an energy blast sailed just past her left side. The beam crashed into the ground, sending dirt into the air. Rose gasped and ran off with the scared girl, holding her tight. Another beam sailed past her side as she quickly avoided it. It crashed into another part of the ground, as she grunted and turned to face the assailant.

An echoing, deep voice chuckled out in the distance. Dust was in the air as it concealed the figure behind the voice. Amy hugged Rose tight, as the vixen held onto her, and narrowed her eyes.

"Who's there?…" she asked, ominously.

She then saw the figure appear from the wall of dust. It looked like an Oorgi, like Kuuga, only it was male, and had black fur. His white wings where folded at his side, as he smiled a menacing smile. His right eye glowed red, as his left was covered with an odd device, glowing blue.

"Faust…" He simply responded, giving Rose his name.

At the same time, in the spiritual world, Rose's grandmother, Aida, quickly opened her eyes and focused them. She was standing with the as yet un-summoned Kuuga.

"It's just as I feared…" Aida spoke softly. "When Cerinia was destroyed, the other seal was obliterated along with it…and now they're free…" She shook her head slowly. "The last of the Arch-Grongi are free…"

Back in the real world, Rose held Amy tight, as she began to run away. She tried to flee from Faust as best she could. Faust simply responded by holding out his right arm, firing another energy blast. The blast crash-landed right in front of Rose, as she stopped in her tracks. She looked up into the scattering dust, seeing Faust right in front of her once more.

"It's no use running from me, child." Faust spoke in his distorted voice. "Wherever you go, the shadow shall follow you."

Rose put Amy down, as the little girl ran off to a boulder nearby, and hid. She then scowled over to the strange creature.

"Why did you have to kill her family?" Rose responded, angry, but trying not to let it cloud her mind.

"I had to do something to bring you out into the open." Faust grinned. "And nothing irks the great Oorgi warrior more, than seeing her wretched mortals suffer needlessly."

Rose was confused now, as she looked over Faust's wings, and his fox-like appearance. "You look like you're the same kind of creature as Kuuga…if that's so, then why do you want to fight her?"

"Hmph!" Faust simply responded, not willing to give her any answers. He held out his hand again, firing another energy blast. Rose rolled out of its way, as it crashed into a boulder nearby, shattering it. She then looked to confirm Amy was still safe, before facing down Faust.

"I don't know exactly who you are…" She spoke firmly, "…But you've taken enough innocent lives today! And I'll be damned if I let you take any more!"

She then raised her hand to the sky, not caring that Amy was watching this, and yelled out. "KUUGA!"

Amy looked on in disbelief, as Rose's hand suddenly glowed. The glow then consumed her entire body, as she changed forms right there on the field. The glow subsided, as Amy now saw the mighty form of Kuuga standing in Rose's place.

The little cougar girl's jaw dropped, as she witnessed it all. Kuuga quickly got into a fighting stance, as Faust simply stood and watched her. A low, distorted growl emanated from his muzzle.

Within seconds, Kuuga quickly took off, flying into the skies, as Faust soon took off in pursuit. Amy simply sat and watched, as Kuuga flew down towards Faust, her wings fully extending, as she attempted to let him have it with a right hook. Faust simply grabbed her arm as she tried this, and tossed her off to the side, nearly making her crash into the ground.

Faust then grunted and held out his right arm, firing an energy beam from his hand. It sailed down towards Kuuga, as she responded with an energy beam of her own, holding out her right arm. She fired the white beam, as it met up with his purple beam, a clash of power ensuing in mid-air.

Kuuga grunted and growled in her distorted voice, as she attempted to gain the upper hand in this struggle. Faust was too strong though, as his beam soon began to overtake hers, the purple energy heading right towards her. Kuuga then concentrated the remainder of her beam into a shield, which she held out using both of her arms.

Faust then took advantage of this, and suddenly stopped with his beam. Before Kuuga could respond, he extended his wings fully, and zipped down towards her. He extended his left foot, meeting her with a hard kick to the middle of the chest, as she grunted. The force of the kick sent her crashing down into the earth, sending dust and dirt into the air.

The black Oorgi grinned as he flew down to meet her. She slowly got back up, only to be smacked in the jaw by his left fist, and kicked in the stomach with his right foot. Faust then spun and let her have it in the sternum with a left sidekick, sending her flying. Kuuga crashed into a solitary tree in the meadow, knocking it over, as Faust stuck to her like glue. He moved closer to her, and sent a single purple beam into the air.

Kuuga looked up, as she saw the beam suddenly scatter into different pieces. They zipped downward after, all of them heading towards her. Desperately, she held up both of her hands, creating the round shield of white energy once more. One by one, the purple energy crashed into her shield, slowly weakening it slowly. Finally, one beam broke through her shield, and struck her in the shoulder.

The winged vixen yelled out in pain, as her shoulder sparked. She fell onto her back, as Faust grinned and flew right to her. He then grabbed her by the throat with his left hand, and began to lift her.

"Much too fragile…" He growled as he held her tightly by the throat. "Is this really the extent of your power?"

Kuuga grunted and choked lightly, as she struggled. She was practically being held off of her feet now, hanging from Faust's grasp. She then looked over and saw Amy observing this fight, terrified now.

"To be honest, this wasn't what I expected…" Faust sneered as he spoke to her. His deep distorted voice echoed in her ear. "No matter…I have a job to do anyway, and I never a leave a job unfinished…after I'm through with you, I'll find that girl, and finish the job I started with her parents." He laughed a bit. "That should be enough of a lark."

Kuuga grunted as she heard this, struggling more. She looked over at the frightened Amy once more. Something began to build inside of her, as she began to think about that poor girl. The loss of her parents, and the peril her own life was in now. This strong desire to protect the girl caused much strength to gather in her form…

With tremendous power, she suddenly threw off Faust's left arm, making him let go of her throat. Before Faust could know what hit him, She then quickly grabbed his right arm with both of her hands, flipping him over. Faust yelled out in surprise, as he flew over her back, and landed on his own. He rolled up onto his feet, now a few feet away from Kuuga, and faced her down once more.

Kuuga growled as she focused, getting into another stance, as Faust grunted and ran right towards her. The two met on the ground, grabbing each other's arms as they began to wrestle slightly. Both of their wings extended and flapped wildly, as one tried to out-grapple the other.

Kuuga then suddenly threw off his right arm with her left wrist, and grabbed his left arm firmly with her own right hand. She pulled him towards her quickly, and kneed him right in the stomach with her right leg. Faust grunted in distress, but still held on, grabbing her left arm once more.

The two shifted over into another direction as they grappled. Kuuga then pulled his right arm away slightly, still holding onto it. She then reared back with her right hand, and gave him a hard right hook across the left side of his face. It glanced off the device over Faust's left eye, as he grunted again. He stumbled a bit, holding his face, as Kuuga ran over to him once more. She quickly brought up her right leg, catching his chest in a hard front kick. The blow sent him sailing into the air, as he yelled out in pain, eventually landed on his chest.

Faust breathed heavily as he got back up, watching Kuuga. The winged vixen then brought up her right hand, preparing the same melting beam that finished off her first opponent. She yelled out as she held out her hand and fired, sending the beam out quickly. It sailed right into his stomach, making him yell out in agony as the force knocked him back. He fell onto his back once again, grunting out in frustration and pain, as the spot where the beam hit him began to eat away at his stomach.

Kuuga only looked on, as Faust quickly put a paw over his abdomen, injecting it with purple energy. Within seconds, the wound began to heal up, counter-acting the effects of the melting beam.

The black Oorgi then slowly rose to his feet, breathing heavily. He then began to laugh softly as he flexed his wings.

"So your true strength finally shows itself." He grinned as he dusted himself off gently.

"Amuse me again sometime…"

Kuuga watched, as Faust's form began to dissipate. It became a mass of black smoke, before finally vanishing into the atmosphere.

With that, Kuuga collapsed onto her knees, the fight having taken a lot out of her. Amy watched, moving closer to Kuuga, as her body glowed once more. Rose appeared in her place once again, as she fell over to her side, exhausted. A light wound was present on her left shoulder, where Faust had struck Kuuga earlier.

Amy simply sat by her new friend, hoping she'd be ok.

Moments later, Fang, who had been following two strange signals he'd detected earlier, flew onto the scene. His cruiser sailed down onto the ground near the two, as he quickly got out. He ran over to the teen vixen, kneeling next to her.

"Rose…Rose…" He spoke loudly, shaking her body a bit. Rose stirred a bit, and woke up, looking up at the Coyote.

"Uncle Fang…" She smiled weakly, addressing Fang by her personal title for him, having known him ever since she was little.

"What the hell happened to you, Rose?" Fang examined her quickly, paying special attention to her shoulder.

"Never mind that, now…" Rose sat up slowly, motioning to Amy. "This girl just lost both of her parents. She needs to come along with us."

Fang nodded as he helped rose onto her feet. "Ok then…" He motioned for Amy to follow, as he looked to the vixen's shoulder. "I should be able to treat that at the base, and then you can maybe tell me what all this is about…"

Rose nodded slightly, lost in thought about Faust. Amy slowly got into the back seat, and curled up for a rest, as Rose got into the front next to Fang. The Coyote fired up the engines on his cruiser, as he took off into the sky once more, heading for his base.

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In the McCloud household, Fox was away, as Krystal was watering some plants. Neither of them was as yet aware of what had transpired, as the vixen went about her business. That was, until she sensed something dark in her house, standing right behind her.

Krystal quickly turned, seeing only a mass of black smoke standing near her, with a pair of strange, glowing eyes inside of it.

"Who are you?" She stepped back, reaching for her staff in the corner.

The familiar, distorted voice spoke. "You and your husband thought you were rid of me forever…" The eyes narrowed a bit. "…You were wrong."

With that, the mass of smoke vanished into nothing. Krystal was left behind to ponder this strange vision, setting her staff back into its resting place…


	4. Explanations

Rose was asleep again, sitting on a couch in one of the lounges on the base. Amy was present too, curled up in the vixens lap as she slept. Fang had recently treated the wound in her shoulder, and was now leaving the two to rest, wondering what he was going to do about the little cougar girl.

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As the real world went about its business, Rose soon found her subconscious traveling again. She stepped into the familiar, misty spot, the land between life and death. Sure enough, she saw the same two forms awaiting her.

"Grandmother…" Rose smiled as she approached Aida, bowing her head to her elder politely. Aida smiled, as Kuuga was standing behind her, simply looking on with crossed arms.

"My child…" Aida lifted her granddaughter's head up slowly. "I am much relieved to see that you survived your previous encounter."

Rose nodded softly as she looked to her grandmother. "That's why I was hoping you'd show up again…so I could ask you about the guy who attacked me." She titled her head. "Who is he?"

Aida sighed softly. "He is called Faust…and he is among the last of the Arch-Grongi."

"Arch-Grongi?" Rose furrowed her brow.

"Yes…" Aida nodded. "The Arch-Grongi were once Oorgi like Kuuga…but they disagreed with the majority of the Oorgi on protecting the mortals from the Grongi, seeing them as inferior beings, unworthy of their wisdom. They defected from the Oorgi collective, and joined forces with the Grongi, starting the war between their races."

Rose thought of something as her grandmother explained this. "I only fought one of these guys, though…are there others?"

Aida nodded. "There were 10 Arch-Grongi in the beginning. 7 of them were defeated, and absorbed by the time the war between Oorgi and Grongi had ended."

"Absorbed?" Rose tilted her head.

Aida nodded again. "Yes…you see, the Oorgi have this ability, where they can take the spirit of a wounded or damaged comrade, and absorb that spirit into their own being. Since the Arch-Grongi are still technically Oorgi, they can also be absorbed once their physical forms are defeated. However, once we gained the upper hand on the Grongi, 3 of the Arch-Grongi fled, and were able to hide from the Oorgi somehow."

Kuuga stood with her arms folded as she helped Aida, feeding her information every so often. Aida spoke once more. "They tried to re-group, and attack the Oorgi once more, just as the last of the Grongi had been sealed. In a counter-attack led by Kuuga, the trio was finally defeated, but they could not be absorbed, because their leader had developed a power to resist the processs. Instead, Kuuga had them all sealed inside of another slab, and over time, this seal proved to be permanent, as opposed to the slab with the Grongi…possibly because it's easier to seal a fellow Oorgi than a Grongi. And so, the seal remained on Cerinia…until that day."

"Cerinia's destruction…" Rose spoke softly.

"That's right…" Aida responded. "The planet's destruction most likely weakened the seal on the Arch-Grongi, to the point where their leader could break it completely. They most likely have been waiting for years in silence, until the seal on the Grongi finally broke."

Rose nodded slowly. "So, there are three of them?"

Aida nodded, as she spoke again. "The last 3 Arch-Grongi, yes…Faust you've already met…she has not appeared yet, but I'd imagine that his partner, Mephista, is lying in wait with him, as well as their powerful leader, Zagi."

Rose thought to herself quietly, before speaking. "So, is there any advice I can get on maybe defeating these 3 guys?"

Aida sighed as she looked to kuuga, then back to her granddaughter. "We're not sure, child…we were hoping we'd never have to face these three again, because the Oorgi had enough trouble sealing them the first time."

Rose nodded gently as she thought this over again. "Well…I know Faust's not invulnerable, since I was just able to fight him off." She smiled.

Aida smiled as well, looking Rose over. "That's exactly the kind of faith you need now child. Stay strong with it, and I'm certain you'll find a way to defeat the Arch-Grongi."

Rose smiled as she turned to leave the misty area. Aida then suddenly reached out with her hand.

"Wait child…there's something else you should know." Rose nodded as she turned to face Aida, who spoke again. "The Physical forms of the Arch-Grongi were all destroyed before their spirits were sealed, and their spirits were enchanted with special block, that could keep them from re-manifesting their physical shapes…so in order for them to do it now, they have to have found mortal hosts, just as Kuuga has you for her host."

Rose nodded, and thanked her Grandmother, before walking back to the real world…

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The Teen vixen woke up slowly, seeing her father on the couch next to her. Fox smiled and gently stroked her hair back some.

"Welcome back, sleepy head." Fox chuckled, as Rose smiled and sat up straight, lightly touching the bandage now on her shoulder. "I've gotta say, all your friends who were waiting for you at the Supernova, were pretty darn impressed when they heard about your little rescue mission." He motioned over to Amy, who was now being comforted by Krystal.

Rose blinked a bit, but smiled. "How much did you tell them?"

Fox chuckled. "Well, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go flaunting the whole Kuuga thing, so I merely edited everything that Amy told your mother and I, and kept it only to saving her."

Rose nodded lightly as she looked over to Amy, who currently had her face buried in Krystal's shoulder. "How's she doing?"

Fox sighed. "Well, you know, she lost her parents…it's gonna be a rough time for her, no doubt about it." He then smiled a little. "We're thinking of taking her in, at least for a little while, if that's ok with you."

"Of course…" Rose nodded, as another body stepped into the room. The figure was a 20-year-old cheetah, dressed in uniform, and was an assistant to Fox.

"Fang would like a word with you, Fox…" The cheetah spoke.

"Thanks Ricky…" Fox nodded. "I'll be right over."

Ricky nodded, and smiled to the recovering Rose, before walking off, Fox soon patting his daughter on the back and walking off. They passed Krystal, as she sat with the grieving Amy on her lap.

Amy had been sobbing on and off, thinking of how her loving parents were no longer around to care for her. Krystal, being the sensitive soul that she was, knew exactly how she was feeling, as she gently stroked the girl's back comfortingly. She then finally decided to break the silence.

"You know, Amy…I lost my parents too…"

Amy looked at her with tearstained eyes. "You did?…"

Krystal nodded. "Do you know why they call this place 'New Cerinia'?"

Amy just lightly shook her head as Krystal answered. "Well, there was another planet once, simply called Cerinia…it looked almost exactly like this place. I used to live there."

"Really?" The stunned Amy responded.

"Yes…" the vixen nodded again. "But a long time ago, the planet was destroyed, by one of my own kind, who went insane with a new force he'd developed. Nearly everyone died when that happened, including my parents."

Amy just nodded, hugging Krystal again.

Krystal smiled a little now, as she comforted Amy. "But as sad as it was at the time, I realized that it wasn't the end for me…and in time, I realized that you're never really alone in this world…because some time later, I met my husband, and we had Rose…the same girl who saved you."

Amy nodded gently as Krystal gently pulled her back, facing the young girl. "This will be a painful time for you…I have no illusions about that. But as hard as it seems right now, you will heal… and you will, like me, find that you are not truly alone in this world. And right now, your parents are in the great beyond. They're watching over you, just like mine have been looking after me since they crossed over."

Amy smiled just a little upon hearing this, as Krystal gently stroked a hand across her hair. "For now, Amy, I'd like to extend an invitation to you…I'd like you, for the time being, to come and stay with the three of us, in our home…would you like that."

The little cougar girl nearly began to tear up again, as she nodded, and hugged Krystal tightly. "Good" The vixen spoke. "No one will ever love you the way your parents did…but I at least shall do the best I can."

Rose was now standing in the doorway as she watched over the two, a smile etched on her face now.

Meanwhile, Fox was in another room, talking with a very befuddled Fang. Fox had decided that since Fang was a close friend and associate that he deserved to know about everything. He told the Coyote everything regarding Rose, to the best of his knowledge. Fang just scratched his head.

"So…Rose suddenly has the power to turn into that…winged thing…the thing I saw in the streets a while back."

"Yeah…" Fox nodded. "And I'd be happy if we just kept this between us…for the time being anyway."

"Oh sure…" Fang nodded. "Whatever this thing is, your daughter seems to have a pretty powerful weapon at her disposal. Weapons like that are best kept as discretely as possible."

Fox thought to himself. "Speaking of weapons…how's the M3 unit coming along."

Fang spoke up immediately. "We've developed the unit itself…we just haven't tested it yet."

Fox nodded gently. "Well…now might be a good time to do so. All-Powerful or not, I don't feel right about not being able to give Kuuga at least a little assistance…M3 might be our best chance to do so."

"Sure thing." Fang responded. "Just give me few minutes to get the team together".

Fox then walked off after hearing this, going over to check on his wife, and the little girl…

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In the outskirts of the town, resided the central garbage collection and processing station. Workers toiled for hours there, making sure all of the machines, the compactors, and the incinerators, were all in proper working order.

One worker had gone outside, to check on a few of the generators. A high-tech clipboard was in his arm, as he took notes, and checked items with an electronic pen of sorts. Everything seemed to be in good order, and the worker prepared to shut down the clipboard…until he heard a noise.

It sounded like a clattering off to his right, in a narrow alleyway between two of the main buildings. He blinked a bit as he walked over to this alley, looking off to his left, then his right. He then walked a little ways into the alley, finding some metal pipes knocked over.

He bent down to check on them, not noticing the shadow that crept up on him. He got back up, hearing another odd noise, which sounded like hissing. He turned, finding a grotesque creature standing behind him. It was humanoid in basic shape, but the rest of its form more closely resembled a scorpion.

The worker screamed, as he ran off, trying to get away. He headed for the nearest worker's lounge, before the creature suddenly whipped out its long, black tail. The end of the tail wrapped around the worker's neck, the poisonous barb at the tip stinging him in the throat.

The worker gagged and coughed, not being able to breathe suddenly. The poison worked fast, making him collapse and die with glazed eyes within a matter of minutes.

The creature hissed again, as it turned to see two other frightened workers standing still. It reached out with one of its claws, grabbing one of them by the neck, as the other ran off frantically.


	5. Restless Soul

Fox was now in the lower floors of the base, a high-security section, standing behind a glass window. On the other side of this window was a wide-open area. It was a training/testing room of sorts, covered in a smooth gray floor, pop-up targets positioned down on the floor.

It was in this large room, that the M3 Unit made its first appearance. It stepped into the room slowly, a figure dressed in a strong, but flexible and maneuverable body armor. The armor was painted blue, with a silver chest-plate and knee plates. Its head was adorned with a visor, which glowed red, and a white muzzle along the mask. It carried an impressive handgun on its right side.

The M3 Unit was a joint project between Space Dynamics, and the research of Fulton Reese. Fulton had wanted to expand his expertise from simple mechanics, to other possibilities in future weapons developments. He finally got his chance, when he came up with his idea for the original prototype body armor, which he called "The Mandarin". Although the original, and the M2 both had their problems, Fulton was convinced that the M3 would bee good enough for Space Dynamics to mass-produce.

M3 stood in the middle of the room, his gun in his hand, as Fox watched Fulton presiding over the operations. Other researches were on standby, watching monitors on every part of the unit's body.

"Ok now…" Fulton spoke into a microphone at his side. "Show us your stuff…"

He flipped a few switches, as the targets began to pop up on all sides of the unit. Many of the pop-ups were armed with non-lethal lasers, firing at M3. M3 quickly rolled off to the side, before getting up and punching the head off one target. He then spun and fired away with his gun. The gun made sounds like a hammer pounding away at a solid object, as it shot out compacted energy bullets.

Many of the bullets hit their targets, cutting the pop-ups into pieces. M3 then grabbed a blue orb from his side, and tossed it into a group of targets in the distance. An explosion rocked the room, as the weapon took out the remaining targets.

"Good job…" Fulton smiled. "The grenade was a bit much for a test, but it least you got it to work right."

Fox smiled on approvingly, as M3 nodded gently, and reached for his helmet. He pulled it off slowly, revealing the face of a hot Fang underneath.

"Whew…" Fang chuckled. "The cooling system still needs a little work." He smiled and tossed the helmet at a researcher entering the room. The scientist caught it uneasily, as others walked over to remove the other pieces of the armor.

Fox clapped as he entered the room, seeing Fang dressed down to the slim body suit that the armor was mounted on. "Fang, that was some good work." He looked back to the window. "You too Fulton…Space Dynamics is gonna be overjoyed when they see all this on file."

Fulton grinned. "Yeah…maybe now, the wife will stop picking on me always working on my 'little toys'."

Fang smiled as he walked up and put an arm on Fox's shoulder. "Well Fox…I think our friend in white out there is finally gonna have some help out there when she needs it."

Fox nodded as he patted Fang's back, keeping Kuuga's identity a secret, but showing his gratitude nonetheless. "I appreciate it Fang…you've always been a good friend, to all of us."

A few moments later, Ricky came running into the room, looking for his superior.

"Fox! You'd better come to Comm center, ASAP!"

"What's wrong?" Fox titled his head.

Ricky shook his head. "I don't know all the details, but it sounds like two guys were killed at the Refuse Collection Center."

Fox nodded quickly as he ran back to the upper floors with his assistant.

Within moments, the two were in the Comm Center, employees doing their best to learn about what was going on. Many of the monitors displayed the same image…smoke, slowly rising from the western wing of the Collection Center.

One of the workers heard something on his earpiece, and spoke up. "I'm getting an update from my end…one of the workers claims he saw the culprit. He says it's some kind of creature…looks like a scorpion."

Fang blinked and looked over to his friend. "A job for M3 maybe?"

Fox hmmmed, and rubbed his chin a bit. "I think we should investigate first." He took Fang aside, where no one would hear him. "Find Rose, and take her out there, discretely as possible. At the first sign of any trouble, contact me, and I'll send you the M3 unit."

Fang nodded. "Good plan…" He then walked out of the room quickly, looking for Rose.

He didn't have to look for long, as he saw her standing over Krystal, watching her mother relate some nice family stories to little Amy. He silently moved over to the teen vixen, and came up right next to her.

"You and I need to take a little ride…" He spoke.

Rose blinked. "Why?"

Fang simply answered. "There's something that Kuuga should probably see…"

Rose's eyes went wide as she heard Fang speak Kuuga's name. She looked over, seeing her father in the distance. Fox nodded once in encouragement, as Rose blinked and nodded back, saying goodbye to her mother and Amy, before following Fang.

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The smoke continued to rise from the west wing of the Collection center, as a figure on a cruiser pulled up, a short distance away.

Kevin gasped as he saw the reported carnage coming from this center, where his adopted father had been working for years as a manager.

"Dad!" The young wolf yelled out, as he turned to his cruiser to the direction of the buildings, and blasted off. It was a dangerous place to be right now, but Kevin couldn't have cared less at this point.

At the same time, another cruiser was coming in from the opposite direction, not seeing Kevin's. Fang pulled his cruiser lower to the ground, as he surveyed the damage coming from the buildings. Rose looked around from every direction, until she felt a tingle in her hand.

Fang set down on a part of the ground not far from the Collection Center. He looked over at Rose as she pulled off her glove, and nearly jumped back. He saw the strange symbol on her right hand, as it glowed, indicating the presence of the creature at the building.

"You're right…Kuuga does need to have a look at this." She brought her hand down, as Fang simply nodded. He stepped out of the cruiser, taking Rose's hand as he helped her out onto the ground. His gaze was fixed towards the smoking building.

Rose walked with him, before she suddenly sensed something. She quickly reached over, and pulled out one of Fang's small blasters from his belt. "Hey!" He protested, as she fired off a shot behind them.

Fang looked in the direction of the shot, as it suddenly hit something. The shape of a hand formed as it absorbed the blast, the familiar laughing figure of a black furred vulpine with wings coming out of its invisibility.

"Faust!" Rose yelled, as Fang watched in stunned silence. The vixen growled. "You still haven't had enough of killing innocent people, huh?"

"No need to fight me in that form…" Faust responded, ducking the question. "Clad yourself in the light!"

Fang quickly whipped out another one of his blasters, aiming it at Faust.

"No! Don't shoot at him!" Rose shouted, as Fang got a single shot off. Faust grunted as he brought up his right arm, quickly deflecting the shot. Rose tackled Fang down off to the side, as Faust grunted again and fired a small beam from his hand. The beam barely missed the two as it crashed into the ground.

"Why do insist on fighting without the mantle of your beloved Oorgi?" Faust asked Rose, as she got back to her feet. "Are you frightened of the endless darkness that I create?"

Rose scowled at the Arch-Grongi, before running over to Fang, now back on his own feet. "Get over to the buildings! Make sure everyone else is ok!"

Fang nodded, running off, before hiding and taking out his communicator. He had some other plans, as he made contact with Fox, and requested that the M3 unit be sent over immediately.

Faust attempted to grab Rose's attention once again, firing a beam right at her head. Before it could make impact though, Rose raised her hand to the sky and yelled "KUUGA!"

"Hmmm…" Faust smiled, as the light took over Rose's body. It changed her once more into the form of the winged, white furred vixen.

"Good…" Faust spoke, getting into a fighting stance. "Now…entertain me."

Kevin, having just swept through the outside of the Collection Center, spotted what was now happening. He was unable to find anything around the buildings, as he assumed his adopted father was ok. He now hid his cruiser near some trees, and watched the action ensue.

Faust made the first move, swiping at Kuuga with a left hook. Kuuga immediately ducked, and attempted to counter with sweep of her right leg. Faust immediately back flipped, avoiding the maneuver. He was a few feet away from her again, as he got into another stance.

Kuuga jumped, trying to kick Faust in the face with her right leg. Faust caught her leg, as Kuuga then fell, and brought up her left leg, kicking him in the chest. Faust grunted and stepped back as he was hit, while Kuuga rolled back onto her feet. She then took off into the sky, daring Faust to follow.

Faust took off in hot pursuit, chasing Kuuga through the skies as she turned to face him. She fired a beam at his face, which he promptly blocked. She fired another one at his right wing, which he swiftly dodged. The Arch-Grongi then charged in with flurry of kicks and punches in mid-air. Kuuga blocked each one expertly, before grabbing onto his right foot suddenly. She twisted the leg, using his momentum to make him spin.

Kuuga then nailed him with a hard roundhouse kick as he spun into just the right position. He plummeted quickly towards the ground from the blow, stopping himself before he it. Kuuga then held out her arm, making her bow weapon appear from the light energy.

She quickly fired off an energy arrow, as Faust quickly twisted himself off to the side, barely missing the attack. He then growled and zoomed back up to meet the vixen face to face. He quickly brought up his right arm, nailing her with an uppercut to the chin before she could even try to block it.

Kuuga grunted as she floated off to the side, Faust quickly reacting to the successful blow. He smiled and grabbed her by the back of the head, repeatedly driving his right knee into her chest. Each blow was more devastating than the last, as Kuuga groaned and grunted from each hit.

Faust then grabbed her by the back of her neck, and threw her downwards. Kuuga zoomed down, unable to stop herself, as she crashed into the ground. Dirt and pebbles flew up everywhere, as she lay on the ground now.

The Arch Grongi landed near Kuuga, as she struggled back onto her feet, and readied herself in another fighting stance. This time, Faust just chuckled, as another figure materialized out of nowhere. It was the scorpion Grongi that had attacked the Collection Center.

The creature hissed and grabbed Kuuga from behind, her arms caught in its claws. Its tail whipped around behind it, as Faust laughed lightly and walked up to the trapped Oorgi. He viciously began to pound away at Kuuga, punching her in the stomach with his right fist, then belting her across the muzzle with his left.

Kuuga cried out and groaned with each hit, as the creature hissed and held her in place. Faust then reared back with his right fist, cocking it as it began to glow. Kuuga managed to move her head as Faust yelled and lunged in with the punch, missing her at the last second. The powerful move hit the Scorpion Grongi's face instead.

Kuuga was able to break free of the creature's grasp now, smacking it in the chest with a hard, back kick. She then spun, and managed to hit Faust across the face with a hard right backhand.

The winged vixen then stood in front of the two creatures, unsure of what to do now.

"You continue to surprise me with your strength…" Faust smiled. "But I wonder how long you'd be able to hold up under the poisoning of my scorpion's sting!" He grinned as the scorpion Grongi hissed and lashed its tail slightly. It then spun and swung out its tail to hit Kuuga, as she stood, ready to defend herself.

Before the creature could hit her, though, something smacked into its head. It stumbled as Faust quickly whipped around and looked behind him. "Who dares?"

Kuuga looked behind them as well, seeing the armored figure in the distance. Fang, now clad in the M3 body armor, now stood with his gun at the ready.

"How do you like us mortals now, chump?" Fang sneered under his helmet. Kevin blinked in the distance as he observed all of this, slowly stepping out from behind the trees.

Faust looked over to the Scorpion Grongi. "Take care of that fool for me…"

The Grongi growled and hissed, nodding as it ran over to meet up with Fang. Kuuga, more focused on defeating Faust, ran towards him, clashing arms with him once more.

Fang fired shots repeatedly at the Scorpion Grongi, as they connected with parts of its body. This time, however, the blows only made the creature angrier. It charged Fang, slashing its tail at him, as he quickly ducked and armed another weapon. He attached the device to his right arm, and extracted the sword-like blade from inside. The microscopic edges of the blade whirred to life, almost like a chainsaw, as he swung it at the Grongi.

The creature hissed as the blade managed to cut into parts of its exoskeleton. Greenish liquid began to ooze from the wounds, as it growled and slashed with its tail. Fang then caught a hold of the tail, and brought down the blade along the end. The creature shrieked, as he managed to slice off the poisonous barb, more green ooze shooting out from severed part of the tail.

Faust looked over as he heard the shriek. "No!" He yelled, as Kuuga took advantage of the distraction. She promptly smacked him in the stomach with her right fist, firing off a beam. The force of the beam sent him flying far across the land, as he yelled out in agony, vanishing for now.

At the same time, the angry Grongi had just grabbed onto Fang's neck with one of its claws. Fang grunted and tried to bring up his gun, only to have it knocked out his hand by the creature's other claw.

Kuuga stood near the scene, trying not to make any sudden moves. She tried to think of a way to take out the Grongi without hurting whomever it was in the suit trying to help her.

She didn't have much time to figure this out however, as more shots hit the Grongi from out of nowhere. Both the Grongi and Kuuga looked over, seeing the form of Kevin. He shook as he unsteadily held the M3 unit's handgun.

"Let him go!" He yelled, Kuuga's eyes wide open, as she watched the Grongi drop the person in the M3 unit, and walk right towards the male wolf. Kuuga quickly tried to intervene, attempting to punch the Grongi in the face, only to have her arm caught in a claw.

Kevin grunted, and fired a few more shots at the Grongi. He avoided the swipe of the creature's other claw, while Kuuga struggled to get her arm out of the creature's claw. She punched and kicked at the Grongi, but it still held tight.

The young wolf ran to the side of the dazed Fang. The coyote was too weak to protest, as Kevin quickly grabbed a grenade from his belt. He tossed it, inactivated, to Kuuga. "Here! Catch!"

Kuuga looked over as she saw the orb coming towards her. She quickly caught it in her free hand, and forcefully stuffed it into the creature's mouth. She pressed hard on the bottom, activating it as she shielded herself with some light energy. The ensuing explosion blew the creature's head into pieces, as Kuuga broke free of its grasp. She then blew away the rest of it with a well-placed arrow of light.

Kevin and Fang watched on in silence, as Kuuga reached out for the Grongi's escaping spirit. She made it fly into her hand, before she promptly tossed it away, seeing it re-sealed once more.

Kuuga then turned to see Fang reveal himself, as he removed his helmet. Kevin helped him back onto his feet, as Kuuga blinked, and slowly changed back to Rose. She didn't care if Kevin saw her like this now.

"Fang…that was you all along?" Rose blinked, as she ran over to his side. Kevin just stood there now, absolutely dumbfounded.

Fang just nodded gently and smiled, as Kevin stuttered. "Rose?…Wha…what's going on? How come you suddenly came out of…" He blinked and just stood there.

Rose giggled a bit as she took Kevin's hand. "Come on…let's all go back to the base together…I think after risking yourself like that for me, you deserve to know the truth as well."

Kevin blinked again, but nodded and lightly smiled. He walked with her, and tired Fang, as he carried his gun for him. They slowly reached the transport ship that had come with the M3 unit, and blasted off inside of it.

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Further off in the undeveloped parts of New Cerinia, the form of Faust landed in the middle of the forest. He breathed heavily, parts of his fur singed as he used some of his energy to heal himself.

He then saw a pair of feminine legs walking towards him, as he was on his hands and knees. His wings were folded at his sides, as he reached over and hugged at the legs lightly.

"My love…" He spoke softly. "I failed you once more."

A feminine hand reached down and stroked Faust's head. "Hush…" her voice spoke out. "I'll have no talk of failure, Faust…this is merely a setback."

"I so long to make you proud of me, love…" The Arch-Grongi responded, nuzzling her leg.

"There will be plenty of other chances…" the female voice spoke again. "The mortals may have put up a good fight this time, but they can only resist us for so long. With all of us at the side of the Grongi, there's no way we can fail. Everyone, even Kuuga, will once again know the true meaning of fear."

Faust nodded as he looked up at the female stroking her. The form was, in fact, that of a silver furred wolfess, dressed in a slim wrap of a dress, her long white hair cascading down her shoulders. Whoever this creature was, she had taken the form of Kevin's mother, Myra.

"I love you…" Faust spoke gently to her. "I love you…" He then slowly changed out of his Arch Grongi persona. Myra smiled as she saw Faust re-assume the form of his host…the formerly deceased Wolf O'Donnell…


	6. Candidate

Fang sat in a chair nearby, a medic attending to some of the wounds he had sustained during the fight with the Grongi. Kevin was standing in the middle of the room, with his adopted father, Ned Ewing. Ned rushed out to the base as soon as he got wind of what had happened, and was admitted to the secret area at the permission of Fox and Fang. The older male wolf adjusted his glasses, and looked to Fang, before looking back at Kevin.

"Is this him…the fellow you helped?"

Kevin nodded gently, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, dad."

Fang smiled a bit, before wincing at his treatments. "That kid of yours is a life-saver, Mr. Ewing. If he hadn't distracted that creature with my gun, it would have snapped my neck for sure."

Ned hummed a bit as he stood with his arms crossed. "Well…I'm not sure I want my son to keep getting involved in these situations, even if you do consider him a help. He's a still a bit too young, in my eyes."

"Mr. Ewing…" Fang wiped away some sweat on his brow. "With all due respect, I was swerving my cruiser through canyons and rock walls when I was two years younger than Kevin is now…"

"You may enjoy living a dangerous life, sir…" Ned shook his head, patting Kevin's back. "But I don't think you have the right to dictate that my son has to live exactly like you…and what business do you have asking such a young man to be a part of this…M3 unit of yours?"

Fang laughed a bit. "Mr. Ewing…you don't fully understand what I'm getting at, do you? I sense something in Kevin, I can FEEL it…I don't just want him to help out with the armor or anything like that…I want Kevin to WEAR the armor."

"Wear the armor?" Kevin almost gasped, Ned blinking in disbelief behind him.

"I think it's possible…" Fulton smiled as he stepped out near Fang, holding some charts. "True, Kevin's a bit younger than what I was looking for, but he has an unusual amount of balance and dexterity for someone his age. He even fired off M3's handgun without getting thrown back by the force of the blast. That says something to me."

"It says something to me too…" Ned snapped back. "You're all nuts! Come on Kevin." He took his adopted son by the hand, and began to lead him out.

"What are you gonna tell your crew, Mr. Ewing?…" Fang called out to Ned. "What are you gonna say next time that precious plant of yours is attacked again? You lost two of your workers, right? Are you gonna tell them there's nothing you can do? Are you gonna say to them that you have someone who can help insure these attacks never happen again, and no one else dies…but you're not gonna let him do his job, because you're unwilling to share his skills with the world?"

Ned stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing this. He thought this over carefully, squeezing Kevin's hand a bit, as he turned and adjusted his glasses.

"Very well…" he sighed. "We can let Kevin try once…" He put his finger up. "But if ONE bad thing happens to him out there…"

"I'll make sure he's pulled out immediately…" Fang nodded.

Fox walked in with Ricky, as he heard much of this conversation. "That's all well and good, but I'm curious…Fang, why are you pulling out? You were doing a good job out there."

"Ask the good doctor about that…" Fang motioned to Fulton.

"We discovered something in the post-battle examination…" Fulton began. "Fang's blood pressure was having a not-so favorable reaction to the bio-fusion mechanisms in the M3 unit…simply put, he was dangerously close to either cardiac arrest, or some kind of aneurysm. We're hoping that Kevin, who's younger among other factors, will have more favorable reaction to these mechanisms."

Kevin left his adopted father's side as they continued talking, walking over to another part of the base. Rose, whose mother had recently left to take little Amy to their home, was sitting on a metal bench, just staring ahead blankly.

"Hey there…" Kevin spoke gently, sitting next to her.

"Oh…hey." Rose smiled a bit.

Kevin stretched out a bit and chuckled. "Hell of a day it's been, huh?"

Rose giggled and nodded. "To say the least…"

Kevin then sat up slowly, looking over the vixen slowly. "So…when were you planning on telling me?…about…you know…" he held out his arms like Kuuga's wings.

She sighed a little bit before she responded. "Well…I wasn't sure. I mean, this isn't something you normally go around bragging about. Especially when you've got all kinds of weird monsters coming after you."

Kevin laughed a little. "Yeah…you're right." He then looked down and smiled. "I'd say your secret's safe with me, but I have a feeling my friends wouldn't believe me if I told them anyway. Not without seeing what I saw."

He smiled as Rose laughed a little in response, nodding. He then crossed his fingers a bit and looked over to her once more. "Did you hear what Fang was talking about with Dad and me?"

"No…" she shook her head.

Fang then smiled a bit, marveling in the fact that he got to break the news to her. "Fang's not gonna be wearing that armor anymore. They're saying its bad for his blood pressure."

"That's awful…" Rose frowned a bit, blinking a bit at Fang's smiling. "Who's gonna wear it now, then?"

Kevin simply pointed to himself. "Me…"

Rose shook her head, resisting the urge to strike the young Wolf. "That's not funny, Kevin…"

"I'm not joking…" Kevin shot back. "They want me to do it, because I'm younger, and I can already hold that hand gun without much trouble. And I want to do it, because…" he paused for a moment.

"Because?…" Rose furrowed her brow.

"Because I want to help you…" Kevin simply finished. "Do you really wanna push away someone who genuinely wants to help you fight these creeps?"

Rose thought it over, before she slowly shook her head. "No…no I don't. Thanks for doing this Kevin." She smiled a bit.

Kevin smiled back. "No problem." He then got off the bench with her, as the new partners walked around the other parts of the base. Fox had now walked into their general vicinity, himself smiling as he watched them from a distance. He then heard his communicator beeping as he tilted his head and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Fox…" Krystal answered on the other end.

"Oh, hey dear." Fox smiled lightly. "How are things with Amy going?"

"She's doing ok at the moment…" Krystal answered, "But that's not the reason why I called you."

"Oh?" Fox furrowed his brow some.

"Fox…I just got wind of a strange discovery on Joppa. Some scouts landed there to check on the place where they buried Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski."

"Yeah…and?" Fox asked her, expectantly.

Krystal swallowed lightly before she answered him. "Wolf's grave was open…and the body was missing…"

Fox just paused for what seemed like an eternity, before speaking. "What on earth would anyone want with Wolf's remains?"

Krystal shook her head. "I don't know…but a little while back, I was in the house, and I sensed a presence…I then heard a voice tell me 'You and your husband thought you were rid of me forever…You were wrong.' "

"Oh my god…" Fox leaned back against a wall and put a hand to his forehead. "I really hope this doesn't mean what I think…"

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The form of Wolf O'Donnell stood on a hilltop, far from any civilization on New Cerinia, just staring out over the land as he pondered his new existence. The wind blew through his fur as he closed his one good eye, smelling the fresh air, and feeling the ground beneath him. These were sensations he had not felt in quite some time, and he was now savoring them in ways he never had before.

The form of his old flame, Myra, walked up behind him and gently stroked his shoulders. "Taking a little time to enjoy life once more, I see…"

Wolf nodded slowly. "Yes…the light…the wind…the ground…its amazing how one takes such things for granted when they are among the living. I was one such person, and I missed out on realizing what a miracle life is…until you saved me with your new power, love."

Myra nodded slowly as she smiled. "Well, we can't dawdle forever love… you know we still have work to do, right? We still have to punish these mortals for their years of taking this all for granted."

The form of the former Starwolf leader nodded slowly through his closed eye. "Yes…yes we need to, love…" he answered, in an almost trance-like state, seemingly under Myra's power as she smiled and rubbed over his chest now.

"Good boy…now, there's another Grongi ready to manifest itself…go join it for your next attack…I shall be with you as soon as I can…"

Wolf nodded slowly as he walked out towards the edge of the hill. He held out his arms as a strange glow came over his body. His form seemed to crack apart like an egg, the cracks beginning in his lowered face and spreading. Eventually, his form broke open in a flash of purple light, and within seconds, Faust was standing in his place once more.

The Arch Grongi smiled before he silently took off, spreading his wings. Myra smiled and watched him as she walked off to the edge of a forest nearby. It was in the entrance to these woods, that she noticed a shadow approaching from behind the trees.

"How is he holding up?" The shadow asked her.

Myra grinned as she answered. "Splendidly. Faust seems to have a firm hold over him right now."

"That's good,…" the shadow answered. "You know how Faust isn't as skilled in controlling physical hosts as we are. We need to be very, very careful in keeping this Wolf O'Donnell fellow under our influence."

"It should be no problem at all…" Myra smiled as she examined herself. "This form is quite entrancing to him. He will do anything for me…"

"I am pleased to hear this…" The shadow spoke once more. "Very pleased. Be sure it stays this way between you and him." With that, it walked off into the darkness once more.


	7. More Mysteries

Back in the base, Kevin was carefully being fitted with the armor of the M3 unit. Each pieces was slipped onto the body suit, starting with the legs, then the arms. The chest plate and back pieces soon followed, as Fang picked up the helmet, and headed towards the young wolf.

"Ok…hold really still." He instructed, as he held the mask right over the front of Kevin's face. Kevin complied, not moving his head one centimeter, as the back of the helmet mobilized automatically. It soon covered the back of the young wolf's head, snapping into place.

Kevin breathed steadily as he felt the life support systems kicking in, computerized images popping up on the inside of the visor. He turned his head a bit, slightly adjusting the helmet, as Rose looked on with a smile. Her father stood next to her, scratching his chin.

"Ok…all systems are responding…" Fulton spoke, looking on at the displays from outside the practice room. "Let's see how he handles the training programs." Fang nodded as he heard this, walking out of the room.

Fulton's son, Jimmy, was now in the observation room, along with Topaz, both of them intrigued at what had been occurring lately. Jimmy in particular was excited to finally see his father's project up and running.

Kevin got a hold of his breath as he flexed his covered hands, looking around the room. He took out the familiar handgun, which was much less heavy in the armor, and held it at his right side.

The battle simulation started up quickly, pop-ups suddenly coming up and firing the non-lethal lasers. A few of them clipped the inexperienced wolf in his armor, as he grunted a bit and fell to the side. His adopted father winced a bit as he looked on, the doubts about this idea being re-enforced for the moment.

That moment was brief, however, as Kevin rolled right back onto his feet. With a rush of adrenaline, he reached out with his gun and fired. With amazing precision, he managed to hit the vital points of almost each and every one of the targets, even disabling a couple of their lasers. The gun fired with the same hammering noise as he shouted out in glee, caught up in the excitement. He then ran in and smashed one target down with a well placed backhand, before taking out a blue grenade and hurling it. The weapon then exploded across the room, taking down a whole mess of targets.

Fang grinned as he watched Kevin in action. "Nothing like seeing an excitable rookie." He mused. "Especially one who reminds me of me at that age."

Ned, who was watching things next to him, just nodded with wide eyes. "It's amazing how quickly my boy picked that up." He scratched his head. "It's almost as if he was born to do this kind of thing."

Fox heard this comment as he winced just a little. He'd had a bit of an odd feeling from the moment he first met Kevin. Something just seemed…a little too familiar about the boy…something…something he really didn't want to dwell on too much at the moment.

Rose bounced a bit happily, smiling on at her friend approvingly. Kevin breathed heavily as he stepped out of the room, carefully removing his helmet. He panted a bit and puffed as he had a big smile.

"That…was awesome!" The young wolf exclaimed.

"Yes…" Fulton chuckled. "But it was also just a simulation, I must remind you."

Fox nodded. "That's right Kevin…these things we've been fighting lately…they're made of much tougher stuff than cardboard."

Fang chuckled as he walked over to Kevin's side. "Ok, ok guys…let the kid have his moment. He feels great right now." He smiled to Kevin. "Believe me, you're gonna need pleasant memories like this once the realities of battle set in…the aches and pains." He grunted a bit and rubbed his side. "Some of which I'm feeling right at this moment."

A grinning Jimmy walked over to his friends, nodding to Rose approvingly. He then looked over at Kevin.

"Man…words cannot describe how jealous I am of you now!" He mused, Kevin laughing a bit in response. "I've wanted to put that suit on since day one."

"And I refuse to have you do it, Jimmy." Topaz smiled as she came up from behind, patting his back. "You know how want you to use your head for something other than a target for enemies."

"Mom…" Jimmy sighed. "You know I don't have the kind of tecchie brain that Dad has."

"Oh really?" Topaz giggled. "Then what do you call that big stereo system you threw together in your room?"

"That was a fun experiment…" Jimmy threw his hands up a bit. "I never meant to run my life around stuff like that."

"Aw, come on, Jimmy." Rose smiled to her "cousin". "Kevin and I couldn't have built something like that. You've got more of your dad's tecchie brain than you realize."

"Yeah…I suppose so…" Jimmy pondered this, before smiling back to Kevin. "I'm still jealous of you, though."

Kevin smiled and nodded. "As others will likely be, once this is all done."

This friendly conversation was soon interrupted by the sound of an alarm blaring in one of the other rooms. Rose, and her friends were startled, as Ricky came running up to Fox.

"Another one of those things just appeared around the food storage towers in the southeast section of town. No workers have been killed so far, and they're all fleeing."

Fox nodded gently. "Ok. We'd better act fast then. Fulton, make sure Kevin's fully prepped with the M3 armor and all the weapons. Fang, when that's done, transport both him and Rose to the site."

"Will do, Fox." Fang nodded.

Rose looked to Kevin, who took a heavy breath. He looked over and nodded to his adopted father. Ned nodded back slowly, affirming his belief in Kevin's abilities. The young wolf slowly slipped his helmet on.

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At the abandoned food storage center, the new Grongi was making itself. This loathsome creature bore a resemblance to a saber tooth tiger, standing in an odd looking collection of tribal necklaces and light body armor. This Grongi appeared to be of a slightly higher level, as it picked out bits of food and ate, its eyes glowing a bright red as the little bits of light shone through its bronze fur.

"Yes…feed." Faust smiled as he appeared from out of nowhere, flying down to the Grongi's level and landing. "You've always been known for your ravenous appetite. You must eat, so you can keep your strength, and your amazing speed in tip-top form. So help yourself…eat this planet's food supply, and let them all slowly starve."

The Grongi nodded wordlessly, as it lightly growled and munched away on some other food items.

After a few more moments of this, the door suddenly blew open. Faust suddenly turned as the grongi stood up and growled loudly, running over next to the Arch Grongi with amazing speed.

Kevin had taken the lead charge in the attack, the smoke still clearing from his grenade. He stood in his full body armor, as he looked back over to Rose, who was waiting inside of the M3 transport ship with Fang. She nodded to him as he walked on inside, his gun at the ready.

"You mortals are such extraordinary beings." Faust shook his head. "You take beatings, fatal ones at that, and still you return for more of them." He then looked over to the grongi next to him. "Finish him quickly, then resume your feeding."

Kevin wordlessly readied himself, as the grongi roared ferociously, leaping down towards him. Kevin fired off his gun, but each shot missed, as the grongi lunged towards him with its claws out.

Kevin quickly rolled out of the way with his fast reflexes, firing again. This time, one of the shots managed to clip the grongi in the side. A little bit of its green blood seeped out as it roared and lunged again, ignoring the wound. Kevin ducked and got a hold of the creature's middle, throwing it into a stack of metal food cases nearby. The creature soon payed its price for underestimating the young mortal as it landed and knocked over the stack, many heavy cases landing on top of it.

Faust watched this action as he soon sensed something behind him. He put up his right hand quickly, catching the lunging fist of Rose, who had just recently transformed into Kuuga.

"I made the mistake of letting myself be distracted last time…" Faust calmly spoke, looking over at Kuuga as she grunted and struggled to free her hand. "Rest assured, it is a mistake I do not intend to repeat."

With that, he used Kuuga's arm to flip her over the ledge he was standing on. Kuuga fell a few feet before extending her wings, flying back up to meet Faust with another punch. Faust simply moved out of the way as he took off on his own wings. He moved behind Kuuga before she could respond, and quickly spun, his right leg smashing into her back. Kuuga grunted as the force of the blow sent her crashing into the ground. She quickly got back up however, facing the Arch-grongi as he flew back down to attack her.

At the same time, the tiger grongi got out from under the metal cases, and launched itself at Kevin. Kevin couldn't react fast enough, as he was soon pinned underneath the weight of the fearsome creature. The grongi roared, and lunged to take a bite out of Kevin's neck. Kevin reached up and quickly caught the creature's mouth with his right hand, holding it back as best he can.

The grongi tired again and again to overpower the armored wolf, as he reached and got one device out of his left side. He quickly attached it to his right wrist as he continued to hold the tiger back with his hand. The same blade that had lopped off the scorpion grongi's tail end soon extracted itself.

The creature clawed at Kevin's armor, trying to break through it, as Kevin made the blade whir to life once more. He punched the monster with his left fist, giving him enough time to bring the blade down with his right hand, and slice into its side.

A bit of greenish blood shot out of the tiger's side as it yelped and rolled off of the wolf. It growled and clutched its new wound, as Kevin got up and fired with his gun. Multiple bullets smacked into the creature as it hissed and took off, running around the room with amazing speed.

Kuuga was still busy with Faust, fighting off every advance he made towards her. She then finally charged towards him in a great burst of strength, tackling him. The two dropped to the ground together as she rolled atop him and punched away at his face. Faust blocked as much as he could as she punched away, desperate to find a way to defeat this Arch-grongi.

It was to no avail though, as Faust quickly got his foot under her. With a single kick, he managed to get Kuuga off him, as she sailed over onto her back, rolling back onto her feet. She quickly got into a fighting stance, as Faust simply stood there, smiling.

Kuuga didn't have much time to figure out why he wasn't preparing to fight back, before the tiger grongi suddenly got a hold of her, having just run towards her from behind.

Kuuga yelled out and struggled with the grongi, as it roared and bared its large fangs, keeping a good hold of her with its strong arms.

"Yes…" Faust smiled. "I think you'll find there's no delicacy better than the flesh of an Oorgi…Bon Appetite.."

Kuuga grunted and moaned as the tiger kept a strong grip on her from behind him. It roared once more, extracting its large fangs as it leaned down to take a big bite out of the Oorgi's jugular…before it suddenly paused, and opened its eyes widely.

Faust looked on as the creature suddenly began to spit up green blood. Kevin, who had somehow found the energy to run to the aid of his friend, had just impaled the tiger through the back with his blade weapon.

"Not again!" Faust roared out in frustration, as Kevin pulled out his weapon and pushed the stumbling grongi aside. Rose soon kicked the tiger out of the way, and sensed a new power inside of her, as she extended her right hand. A weapon of light soon materialized in her grasp, a broadsword with a white handle, and Oorgi inscriptions all over the blade. It was Kuuga's sword of Justice.

As all of this was going out, the figure of Myra was watching the action from a distance. A glow came over her body, as her face began to crack apart with this light, smiling.

The creature roared out once more, wounded, but still determined. It launched itself at her in a last ditch attempt at an attack. Holding the sword with two hands now, Kuuga simply raised the weapon, swinging it like a bat once the grongi was close enough. It cut through the air swiftly, and promptly lopped off the head of the grongi. The creature's body plopped onto the ground seconds after the fatal blow, the head soon landing right next to it. Kuuga simply stood there, the sword vanishing as the creature's body began to disintegrate.

Faust simply growled in anger as Kuuga collected the creature's spirit for re-sealing, before turning and scowling at Kevin in his suit.

"You, my boy…You and your mortal ilk have interfered in our business for the last time!"

He yelled out and launched a beam attack at Kevin. The beam slammed him right in the stomach before he could respond, Faust flying in and smashing him across the helmet.

Kuuga gasped as she quickly turned, and prepared herself to defend her friend. Before she could respond to Faust's attack, however, a second beam smacked into her from behind, sending her flying into a wall from nearby.

"All right…" She suddenly heard a distorted, feminine voice speak. "I've had enough of this spectator nonsense."

Kuuga quickly sat up, as her eyes quickly widened. She saw the form of another Arch-grongi, this one a female, fly down. Her wings folded at her side, her petite, but very powerful body covered in armor similar to Kuuga's. Her eyes glowed red, as shoulder-length white hair covered her face partially, her fur as black as Faust's. Kuuga suddenly remembered the name from her last meeting with Aida. It was Mephista!

"I've enjoyed witnessing your little rise to power…" Mephista smirked. "And it's been fun watching you and Faust play with each other. But play time's over now." She slowly got into a fighting stance. "It's time to conduct the business of the Arch-Grongi, as seriously and as quickly as possible."

Kuuga readied herself as Mephista launched herself at her. Kuuga tried to fly out of her way at the last second, but was soon met with a hard right fist to the stomach. Mephista was just as strong as Faust, and even quicker, using this speed to her advantage as she spun and nailed Kuuga with her right foot.

Kuuga moaned out as she hit the ground and rolled. Mephista floated with her wings, as she summoned some energy, and held out her hands. She held still as her palms out as multiple white orbs fired out of them, all of them zooming right down towards Kuuga. Kuuga rolled again using her hands to make an energy shield, which quickly shattered under the strength of these orbs. She was hit multiple times in the shoulder and head, as she grunted and moaned, her body smoking as she fell.

Things were looking equally grim for Kevin, as he swung weakly with his blade, trying to hit some part of Faust, but to no avail. The Arch-grongi flew in close once more, knocking away his gun, before smacking him multiple times in the stomach, and the face, making him stumble everywhere.

Faust then reared back, and let Kevin have it with a hard right hand, that sent his helmet flying right off. Kevin grunted as he fell down onto his side, weakened.

Kuuga was powerless to stop this beating, as Mephista had now flown down, and caught her by the neck. The female Arch grongi smiled as she lifted Kuuga, and pinned her against a wall.

"Before I end your miserable experience, I'm going to let you have the pleasure of seeing one of your precious mortals meet an untimely end." Mephista grinned, as Kuuga struggled futilely.

Faust laughed a bit as he saw the face of the young wolf under the mask, smiling as he finally had a chance to kill himself a mortal. He then slowly raised his right hand, energy gathering in the palm as he prepared to let Kevin have it with a fatal beam attack.

He then noticed something. A necklace, a pendant of sorts, had come out of the chest plate of Kevin's armor. The pendant, a heart-shaped silver keepsake from his late mother, was now hanging down around his neck. The shape, and basic look of it was unmistakable. Faust suddenly froze before he could launch the attack.

Mephista blinked in confusion, still having a hold of Kuuga's throat.

"What are you doing? This is no time for quiet contemplation…finish him off!"

Faust stood there, looking at the downed young wolf. The energy began to leave his palm, as he lowered his arm, just staring at Kevin.

"Kill him!" Mephista roared out at Faust. "Kill him, damn you!"

This moment of distraction allowed Kuuga to get the upper hand. She suddenly brought up her legs, wrapping them around Mephista's head and neck. She then chopped at her hand, making her let go as she dropped down. She was upside down for a moment as she flipped, throwing Mephista over to Faust with her strong legs as she rolled back onto her feet.

Mephista stumbled from the surprise attack, as Kuuga quickly followed up with a strong beam attack, fired from both of her hands. The beam smashed right into Mephista as she screamed out in pain, the energy singing parts of her fur and wings.

The wounded Arch-grongi fell right into the arms of Faust, who then decided upon a retreat. He extended his wings, and flew up, carrying Mephista as he smashed through the roof, making a dramatic escape.

Kuuga breathed heavily as she watched the two Arch-grongi leave. She then looked over to Kevin as she changed back into Rose. Rose ran over to his side.

"Kevin!" She helped him to sit back up. "Are you ok?"

Kevin panted a bit. "Yeah…everything seems fine."

Rose then scratched her head as she had time to ponder what had just transpired with Faust moments earlier.

"What in the world just happened there? He had you. You were dead, and I was moments away from mourning you…but he didn't do it…why?"

Kevin shrugged a bit, as he picked up his pendant, looking it over in his hand, before looking back up to the smashed roof…


	8. Put Down

Rose scratched her head as she sat with Kevin in the McCloud household. Amy was in the next room, being fed by Krystal, munching away hungrily over her plate. Fox was talking with Ned Ewing about how his son's first mission went, as Kevin just sat next to his friend, looking over the necklace that had fallen from his armor earlier, deep in thought.

A curious Fox came back into room with Ned to address Kevin.

"Is it true what you said earlier?" He asked. "That the creature called 'Faust' suddenly stopped attacking you, and left with the female?"

Kevin nodded gently. "Yeah. It was so strange. I even saw his eyes when he stopped. It was like…like he discovered something he hadn't known before, and was thrown off balance by it."

"We haven't been able to figure out why it happened…" Rose continued for her friend. "The only thing I was able to notice at the time was how Kevin's necklace fell out just before Faust stopped."

"The one my mother left me." Kevin nodded.

Ned looked his son over and at his necklace. "What on earth could that mean, I wonder."

"I don't know…" Rose answered him. "I know very little about these Arch-Grongi, apart from what my grandmother's spirit told me." She shifted a bit in her seat. "One thing that's had me thinking though, is that they lost their ability to manifest physical forms by themselves…in order to do it now, they have to have mortal hosts."

Fox thought this over for a moment, as a spark suddenly went off in his mind. His eyes went wide.

"Rose…" He addressed his daughter. "Did she whether or not this host has to be alive before possession by an Arch-Grongi?"

Rose shook her head. "She never really specified…why?"

With a sigh, Fox walked closer to the two teens. "Your mom recently told me about a report from Joppa…that's the planet where the two main members of Starwolf were buried…you remember me telling you about them, right?"

"I remember…" Rose nodded, looking a bit uneasy.

"Well…" Fox continued. "Some people recently went down there, and found that the grave of Wolf O'Donnell had recently been opened. They checked for the body, and it was missing".

"What?" Rose's eyes widened. Kevin blinked and furrowed his brow as he listened as well.

"That's not all." Her father continued. "You told me there was a female one of these creatures, right? Well, I just got wind of another grave robbery, not far from this planet." He looked over to Kevin now. "It was in the facility where they had stored your mother's body."

Kevin gasped a little. "Why?…why would someone do that to her?"

"No…please god, no!" Ned suddenly began to get emotional. "Please, don't let it be true…NO!" He suddenly dropped to his knees, and pounded the table.

"Dad!" A shocked Kevin responded. He ran over to his guardian's side. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Amy looked up from the kitchen, very scared now, as Krystal gently patted her back, and led her back into the other room. Fox furrowed his brow as he walked over to Ned's side, standing over him as Kevin comforted him, Rose standing with her eyes wide open.

"Ned…" Fox inquired, curiously. "Do you know something that I don't?…"

"I'm so sorry…" Ned addressed only his son with his head lowered. "I'm sorry to have kept it from you…I just didn't want you growing up with this hanging over your head…" A tear began to form in his eye.

"What, dad?…" Kevin gripped Ned's shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Ned sighed. "I told you before about how I found you…my brother, the doctor, was the one trying to treat your mother when she came down with that disease. When it looked like your mother wasn't going to make it, he contacted me, because he knew about how I had wanted to adopt a son, and that she had one."

Kevin nodded. "I know about all that already, Dad."

Ned looked Kevin right in the eyes now. "But what you don't know about is the blood test my brother ran on you soon after your mother died. He had tried to find out who your real father was, but was unable to get a straight answer from her. So he ran a DNA matching test and found him…"

"He did?…" Kevin's jaw dropped. He shook Ned's shoulder's just a bit. "You knew all this time, and you didn't tell me?"

Ned gently nodded, before lowering his head once more.

Kevin gave his guardian a firm look "Who is it dad?…Who's my real father?"

Ned softly answered. "Wolf O'Donnell…"

Krystal nearly dropped a plate as she heard this from the next room, Amy watching her as she froze in absolute shock. Fox was also stunned by this revelation, slowly sitting down on the couch near Rose, who slowly moved over next to her friend, just as surprised.

Kevin slowly ran a hand along his hair. "I…I don't believe it…"

"It's true…" Ned spoke again. "Like I said, I didn't want you growing up with the knowledge that you were the child of such a twisted individual. I wanted you to have your own identity, not tied up with his in any way."

"Wow…" Kevin sat back against the couch, completely speechless.

Rose blinked a bit, and was the first among the McCloud's to speak after the revelation regarding Kevin. "At any rate, I think we may know who our Faust is…as well as that other Arch-Grongi, Mephista I think her name was…" She thought to herself.

"Yes?…and?" Kevin asked her, helping his guardian back to his feet.

"That just leaves one more…" Rose continued. "I remember my grandmother telling me that there are three Arch Grongi left. Faust, Mephista, and their leader…"

"Leader?" Fox furrowed his brow as he heard this.

Rose nodded as Kevin took Ned aside, into another room. "Yeah…his name is Zagi, and he would have needed a mortal host as well…but there's no way I can find out who, if he won't show himself…"

Fox nodded slowly as he paced around the room a bit, trying to come up with any possible leads off the top of his head. He then began to search for his young cheetah assistant.

"Ricky?" He walked into the room where he saw him last, and found nobody sitting in the chair in the corner.

"Hey, Ricky…" He walked over to the next room…still nothing. Fox furrowed his brow once more as he walked back to the living room, and over to the study, where Fang was stretching out on the chair near Fox's desk.

"Fang…" Fox spoke to the Coyote. "Have you seen Ricky walking around here at all?"

"'fraid not…" Fang shrugged.

Fox sighed and walked into the kitchen, right next to a concerned looking Krystal.

"This is strange…Ricky never leaves my side during important business…I wonder what the hell that boy's up to?"

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Ricky walked slowly along the deepest section of the woods, not far from where The McCloud's neighborhood was on the planet. He passed the trees slowly, a new look beginning to form on his face…a far more serious, and almost threatening glare, as he took out his ponytail, and shook his long black hair free.

He then came to a clearing at the foot of a hill, parting the tree branches with one hand as he spotted something. It was only a number of feet away from him, waiting for his arrival.

"You…" The Cheetah spoke, walking over to what he spotted as his face became even sterner in appearance…he walked over to the form of Wolf O'Donnell, who was standing and simply awaiting him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ricky growled at Wolf. The former Starwolf leader simply responded by dropping down onto his knees, bowing his head in apology.

"Is this the thanks you grant me with, Faust?" Ricky extended his paws at his sides, calling Wolf by his new name. "After raising you from the grave, and giving you back your lover?" He motioned over to Myra, who stood behind wolf with her arms folded.

"I offered you the chance to take this world that your rival and his friends had colonized…" The cheetah continued. "The chance for BOTH of you to wipe them all out and rule this world together with me…"

Ricky shook his head as he paced around the kneeling wolf. "I have been waiting for this moment for YEARS, Faust! Ever since I hid myself in this body, and worked quietly with the people of this planet!"

He was referring to how Fox had first discovered Ricky, as the sole survivor of a cargo ship that had been practically destroyed by a barrage of comets near New Cerinia, escaping complete destruction by a miracle. What Fox didn't know was that Ricky, the real Ricky, had died with all of the others, and his body was possessed by the Arch Grongi, Zagi, soon afterward.

Ricky walked back in front of Wolf, and got right in his face. "I will not have all of my ambitions and plans sabotaged once more, and risk being sealed away for god knows how many more centuries, just for the sake of ONE worthless boy!"

Myra watched on silently, as Ricky continued his assault. "When I or Mephista tell you to kill someone, you do what you're told, and KILL! And I will make no exceptions for that rule, not even for that ridiculous boy you spared!"

"My SON!" Wolf suddenly roared out at Ricky, getting back onto his feet. He had heard enough.

"He's my SON, god damn you!" Myra's eyes went wide as she realized just how much Wolf had figured out about the necklace.

Ricky tilted his head. "How the hell could you possibly know that for sure?"

Wolf pointed over to Myra. "Because he was carrying my wife's necklace! Why else would he be carrying it if she had not given it to him at some point in his life."

Myra just stayed quiet, Mephista in firm control of her form as Wolf stormed over to her.

"Why didn't you tell me, Myra?" Wolf shook his head in frustration. "Why the hell would you stay quiet about giving birth to MY child?" He then raised his finger a bit as something new came over his mind.

"I have to wonder though…looking at you through those cold eyes now…are you REALLY the one who gave me a child? Are you really the one who fell in love with me?" Wolf came right up to her face. "Because I'm looking at you right now…and I'm not so convinced…"

Ricky watched as Myra simply sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Faust…I really thought you could stay in control…and that I could have helped you in that task."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Wolf furrowed his brow.

Myra frowned. "Zagi let you take that body, remember? You gave him the fullest assurance that you'd be able to control it, to keep the spirit of the previous owner from taking it over once more, as long as I could help you in some way."

Wolf backed away, as he gripped his head. His perceptions of the world around him were suddenly coming to a full stop.

"It's clear that I was right to doubt you, Faust…" Ricky spoke up. "Even with Mephista's help, you just can't seem to keep this Mortal's form under a firm grasp." He sighed as he began to transform into his true form. "You leave me no choice but to neutralize you…"

"You'll do no such thing!" Wolf growled, taking the form of Faust once more as Zagi fully manifested himself. He looked basically the same as Faust, a big black-furred fox, only with a slightly more muscular physique.

Faust yelled out as he launched himself at Zagi, only to receive a hard uppercut from the stronger Arch-Grongi's right fist. It smacked him hard in the chin and jaw as he grunted and fell back, Zagi following the blow up with a hard sidekick. His right foot smashed into Faust's sternum as he fell back once more.

Zagi then held out both his arms, left hand over right, as he fired a POWERFUL beam. The black energy smashed into Faust as he howled in pain and fell back into the waiting arms of Myra, who had just changed into Mephista once more.

Mephista caught Faust under his arms, hooking him with her strong-arms, as Zagi approached him. Without a word, Zagi jabbed the two main fingers of his right hand into Faust's shoulder. Faust moaned out in pain as Zagi began to extract energy from his body, smiling.

Faust then slumped forward as he shifted back into Wolf, Mephista letting him go. He fell to the ground on his front, his face off to the side, as he panted heavily.

"I'm so sorry it had to come with this, Faust…" Zagi spoke as he passed his fallen comrade. "But you attacked me, remember that…and I cannot stand for dissension within my ranks…"

He walked past him with Mephista. "All of your powers and life force are as good as absorbed now, so feel free to go and die with these mortals in any way you see fit."

Zagi walked with Mephista, leaving the wounded Wolf behind, as he began to think of a new strategy. "With this new development, I'm afraid we'll have to rely on something a bit more drastic in order to achieve victory."

"Like what?" Mephista enquired.

"I must go to the caverns, and gather the remaining spirits of the Grongi." He looked to her as he walked, wings folded at his sides. "I shall use all of my power to have them merge with me."

Mephista nodded slowly, as Zagi began to walk ahead of her. "I will need time in order to complete this task, so I will need you to keep Kuuga, and that meddlesome mortal boy occupied until then."

"It shall be done, Zagi…" Mephista smiled, before taking off into the sky once more.


	9. A Noble End

Rose sat with Amy now, going through some old photos with Amy on the couch. Kevin had decided to go out and do some patrol work in the M3 armor, and Fox had some more work to take care of at one of the other bases. Krystal was still around, but she was busy with the laundry at the moment, and Ned had decided to head home for now, and hope for the best regarding his adopted son.

"See…this was me at about your age…" Rose smiled to the little Cougar girl, showing her a picture.

"Cool." Amy smiled and swished her tail a bit, as she tilted her head a bit to something else in the picture. "What's that thing you're sitting on?"

"Oh…" Rose chuckled a bit. "I was just playing around on that thing. That was a land speeder they were building a number of years ago…didn't work as well as the ones we have now."

Amy nodded gently. "My dad works…I mean…he used to build stuff like that." She lowered her head a little, as the realization that her parents were no longer here came back into her mind.

Rose slowly closed the photo album as she sighed gently. "Amy…I have to tell you something…" She scooted closer to the girl. "One of things I regret most since I got my powers, was not being able to save your parents in time…"

The little girl nodded again, as she leaned in to hug around Rose's waist. "It's ok…it's not your fault."

Rose sighed. "The only thing I can tell at this point, is that I know that death is not the end…I mean, I KNOW it's not the end. I've seen it."

"Really?" Amy blinked.

"Yes…" Rose stroked her side. "See, a couple of times, Kuuga, the person I change into, pulled me into this half-way world, between life and death. But I wouldn't have been able to understood what she had to say to me, because I don't understand her language…so she got someone to speak for her, and you know what? It was my Grandma."

Amy gasped a bit. "Your grandma?"

"Uh-huh." Rose grinned as she nodded. "Even though she died all those years ago, when old Cerinia was destroyed…I saw her, right there. I could talk to her, and I could even touch her. She was just as real as we are now…she had just moved on to another kind of existence."

"Wow…" Amy smiled in wonder.

"And you know what?" Rose smiled again. "I'll bet that's where your parents are right now, watching over you, just like my mom told you earlier."

"Really?" Amy stood up on the couch to face the scarlet vixen. "Do you think you could look for them, next time you're in that half-way place?"

"Hmmmm…" Rose smiled as she thought to herself. "I'll tell you what…If I see my grandma again, I'll ask her to look them up…ok?"

"Deal!" Amy giggled, hugging Rose again. Rose chuckled as she returned the hug. Krystal, who had just returned from downstairs, watched her daughter and their guest with a fond smile, before returning to her chores.

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Kevin was already in the M3 unit, thanks to Fulton coming over with its vehicle after Fox had contacted him. The last pieces of the armor snapped into place, Fang helping Kevin adjusting the helmet.

"Hey, Kevin!" A figure called out from afar, carrying a case. It was Jimmy Reese, Fulton's son.

"I've got a little present for you…" Jimmy smiled, setting the case down near the armored Kevin. Kevin tilted his head slightly, and bent down to open it. He found the pieces of an immense weapon, a large Gatling gun, lying inside of it.

"Wowie…" Kevin exclaimed, his eyes getting wide.

"Yeah…" Fulton chuckled, walking up behind his son. "It's the formerly unfinished aspect of your arsenal…the M3RSU."

"I just call it 'the annihilator'". Jimmy grinned.

"I guess we could call it that too…" Fulton patted his son's back. "After all, you're the one who discovered why it wasn't working properly, and fixed it."

Jimmy saw his mother, Topaz, giving him an approving, "I told you so…" nod. He then grinned and nodded to his father. "It was easy, Dad…once I figured out you were using the wrong size of motivator…"

"Now don't get TOO boastful, son…" Fulton laughed a bit, before addressing Kevin once more. "Anyway, good luck on your patrol, and just be careful about handling that thing…it gives you a bit of a kick."

Fang grinned and slapped Kevin on the back. "Go get 'em, boy!"

Kevin smiled and nodded under his helmet, as he picked up the parts of his new weapon, and headed off into the forest.

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Ricky slowly walked into one of the caverns deep below the ground. It was an area where many of the remaining Grongi spirits had converged, each one waiting for its chance to re-manifest in physical form.

The leader of the Arch Grongi strolled into the wide, rocky room, extending his hands as he addressed the spirits.

"My fellow, loyal Grongi…" He began, the true, powerful voice of Zagi ringing out in the cavern. "We have approached a true threat to our cause now…It was bad enough that Kuuga was regularly defeating each and every one of you, and resealing you alone, as well as besting my second and third in command…Now one of the wretched mortals has dared to challenge my authority, and your power!"

The spirits flashed in anger, floating around Ricky as he continued. "And consider this, my fellow powerful spirits…if one mortal can stand up and defeat your kind, what's to stop a friend of his from joining in the fight? Or another? Then another? Until one day we find the entire populace of mortals following this young man's example, and opposing us, united!"

The raucous spirits flashed even more angrily, their energy causing the cavern to shake, as Ricky looked over all of them. "Well, I say we don't give them the chance to reach that day! I say we stop this growing resistance right where it has started. And it's clear to me that we cannot accomplish this goal as we are fighting now…we must rely on something else…the power of the merger!"

The spirts quieted down now, listening to their master intently as he spoke. "Instead of sitting around down here, waiting for our forces to slowly deplete, one by one, I say we combine all of our forces, all of our energies, and put a stop to this conflict once and for all!"

Ricky then slowly extended his arms. "Come to me, my Grongi! Come and merge with me! Together we shall finally crush the foolish, failed dreams of the Oorgi!"

The room began to glow as the spirits agreed with his stand, and slowly floated down towards the Arch Grongi…It would take time to complete such a big merger of powers, so that was why Mephista was not by Zagi's side at the moment…

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Kevin slowly walked along the woods in his armor, his new gun slung around his back. There was an eerie sense of quiet in the forest at the moment, not one creature stirring. He tromped along slowly in his metal boots, each one sending a quiet thud into the grassy land.

Moments later he sensed something, further in the woods. He followed his instincts, as he slowly began to see something between two trees. It stayed standing still as he gently approached it, parting a few branches in his sight…

"Kevin…" He saw the figure of Myra speaking to him.

"Mom?…" Kevin furrowed his brow, walking out of the trees. Myra walked off into the woods as he got closer.

"Wait…mom, wait!" Kevin shouted as he followed. He knew about how she was resurrected by an Arch Grongi now, but he still wanted to get information.

"Mom!…Mom!" Kevin shouted under his helmet, walking into a clearing as he looked to his left and right, trying to find any physical sign of Myra.

All he found, however, was Mephista, flying right towards him.

The female Arch-Grongi tackled him quickly, making him flip over and onto his back as she climbed atop him. Myra's face appeared on her body.

"Idiotic boy!" She hissed at him, with a slight smile. "This is just a mask! One that I used to keep your gullible father under our control…" She then extracted the claws on her right paw as she reared back to strike him. "But I must admit, it makes great bait for his equally foolish son!"

Kevin reacted quickly as she lunged in to strike him with the claws. He grabbed her by the wrist as he brought up his right knee, hitting her hard in the stomach. Mephista grunted as she soon rolled off of the armored wolf, getting back onto her feet. Kevin then got out the new gun, and aimed it right at her, firing off a powerful spray of small lasers.

Mephista quickly extended her wings and flew out of their way, taking to the sky as Kevin grunted. He was a bit thrown by the powerful kick of the gun, but quickly adjusted as always. He swung the weapon around as he fired again, aiming for Mephista as she flew around. His persistence paid off, as he finally clipped her in the left wing with a few small lasers.

The Arch-Grongi shrieked in pain as she fell and hit the ground hard, Kevin keeping up with the barrage. He fired, and hit her with multiple blasts on the back, before she shrieked again and turned, letting a beam fly from her right hand. The beam smashed right into Kevin's gun as he yelled out and dropped it from the force. Mephista flew towards him once more as he quickly got out the blade weapon, attaching it to his wrist just as Mephista passed. She slashed him across the side as he sparked, grunting and turning on the micro-cutters as the whirred. He slashed at her as she leaped and flipped all around him, avoiding his blows.

She then made her move, getting her distance as she fired a few beams into the air. The soon scattered into many beams, as she willed them to fly down onto Kevin. They smashed into his armor one at a time, making him smoke from every section, as he felt battered from the inside as well.

He stumbled down onto his knees, unable to take much more punishment, as Mephista grinned to herself. She held up her right hand as she summoned more energy, preparing to finish him off with a big beam right there…

Before she could make her move however, something came quickly from her left. It bashed right into her, making her fly into a tree nearby. She hit it hard, and slid down onto her side.

Kevin looked up as he saw Kuuga standing near him once more, very still in a fighting stance as the smoke cleared around her. Rose had sensed the trouble while reminiscing with Amy, and stunned everyone by running out of the house without any explanation.

"All right, Rose!" Kevin cheered. Kuuga ignored him for now, as she kiaied slightly and prepared to face down Mephista.

The Arch Grongi growled angrily as her eyes began to glow more. She immediately launched herself at Kuuga, Who simply grabbed her arm and kneed her in the stomach. She then let Mephista stumble behind her, as she spun and smacked her with a backhand to the back of the head.

Mephista grunted and fell back against another tree. She launched a beam at Kuuga, only to have it deflected by the Oorgi's right gauntlet. Mephista then jumped, and tried to nail her with a jump kick, only to have Kuuga grab her by the right foot, and throw her upwards. Mephista went upside down, before landing hard on her front. She got back up just as Kuuga leapt up and quickly brought her right foot around, smacking her right in the jaw.

Mephista yelled in pain as she was sent flying, twirling a bit as she landed hard on her side once more. Kuuga ran up and got into another stance, her wings flexing behind her as she growled in concentration.

The Arch-Grongi sneered as she got back onto her feet. She held out her hands as a pair of impressive daggers materialized in them. She threw herself at Kuuga as she slashed at her. Kuuga stepped aside, carefully avoiding the swipes being made for her, as she held up her gauntlet covered wrists every so often.

Kevin looked on as Kuuga stepped out of the way once more, as Mephista swiped with both her daggers. She succeeded only in slicing off a tree's large branch, as Kuuga got her distance by kicking Mephista in the side. She then held out her hands, as the Sword of Justice appeared in them once more.

Kuuga then extended her wings and took to the sky, as Mephista followed behind. The Arch-Grongi then put her right dagger aside, and fired a ball of energy towards Kuuga. The ball exploded into thousands of smaller energy beams, as Kuuga quickly held up her sword. She deflected many of them in mid-air, before one grazed her right arm.

Kuuga grunted and flew backwards a bit, as she saw Mephista flying in for the kill. She swung at her with her sword every so often, but the Arch-Grongi skillfully evaded her. Mephista moved in soon after and began to quickly swipe at her with daggers, faster and faster as Kuuga evaded each swipe. Each creature was now moving at an incredible rate of speed, the only sound being the continuous swiping noise of the blades, as Mephista growled out loudly in her efforts.

Soon, she finally scored across Kuuga's abdomen. The Oorgi yelled out in pain as blood began flow gently from the wound. She floated downward a bit, as Mephista grinned and flew down behind her. She smacked Kuuga along the back with a well-placed knee, as the Oorgi soon crashed back down into the earth.

Kevin saw this all, as he quickly ran to assist his fallen comrade. Mephista anticipated this however, as she moved aside once he moved in with his blade weapon. She sliced at him with his dagger, severing the tip of his blade from the rest of his weapon, before spinning and kicking him hard across the back of his head.

The young wolf fell onto the ground, next to the wounded Oorgi. Mephista grabbed them both by the throat, and held them firmly to the ground.

"Huh…" She grunted, confidently. "I really don't know what it is that Zagi found so threatening about the two of you…" She tightened her grip on both fighters as they struggled. "No matter…he'll still be happy to hear that I put down your silly little resistance, once and for all…"

She finally took advantage of their weakened states, and began to use her powers to slowly absorb the life energy of both Kevin, and Rose/Kuuga. They grunted and wrestled to fight this, but to no avail. It really looked like it was all going to end…

That was until he came along…

Wolf O'Donnel slowly dragged his weakened body to the side of a tree, observing what Mephisto was doing. He realized that his son was being absorbed, along with Kuuga, as he looked closer. Mephista had crossed the line now…she had not only tampered and exploited his past, but she was now robbing him of his future…his bloodline.

With that, Wolf slowly balled up his right fist, concentrating on this feeling. He wanted to do the right thing for once. He wanted to be the one to serve light, rather than the darkness of the Grongi…it was then that his fist began to glow…

He continued to focus this energy, as it glowed brightly in his fist. Soon, more energy began to flow into his body…then a little more…and a little more…before his whole body was soon aglow. He then looked into the sky, as he let out a great cry of rage…

"GYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

The cry could be heard for miles around, as his form began to crack apart once more, starting at his face. The same glowing energy emerged from Wolf's body, as Faust exploded from him once more.

Mephista, who was too focused on absorbing her two enemies, was soon given quite a shock. Something else came in from her side, and gave her a hard punch across the head, making her let go of Kevin and Kuuga.

The two warriors sat up, as they saw the form of Faust standing in front of them. His wings were fully extended as he faced down the female Arch-Grongi.

"Dad!" Kevin yelled out in surprise.

Mephista growled at him in frustration. "You shouldn't be able to transform now!"

"Surprised, bitch?" Faust growled back. "I think you'll find that I'm full of them!" He then yelled out as he got into a fighting stance.

Kevin and Kuuga quickly backed off to recover, as Faust went in for the first attack. He leapt into the air, and got her in the chest with a hard kick, as she grunted and stumbled backwards. He fired off a few beams from his hands, as she spun and blocked them with her daggers. She soon counter-attacked, slashing at him with the daggers as he avoided the swipes, and elbowing him in the temple when she found an opening.

The two other warriors ran off for a moment, as Faust stumbled back, and then growled. He fired off a stronger beam with his hands, smashing her in the stomach and sending her flying into the air. He then flew up to meet her, and smacked her right between the eyes with a left hook.

The female Arch-Grongi yelled out in pain as she plummeted back down into the ground, dust flying up around her. Faust then yelled out again in rage, as he shot out an awesome array of beams from his hands, all of them aimed towards Mephista. She blocked and avoided these attacks as best she could, as Faust yelled out and lit up his right hand with energy, valiantly moving in for the kill.

Mephista was prepared for him however, and waited for him to get down close enough…once he did, she reared back with her right hand, and quickly thrust her dagger out, impaling it through Faust's stomach.

Time seemed to stop for a moment as she hit him with this fatal blow. Faust stopped right in his tracks as he felt the blade go into him. He grunted quietly, his eyes wide open, as his head was arched back some.

The female Arch-Grongi laughed, cackling in menacing delight, as she held the blade in his gut. At the same time, Kuuga and Kevin ran back to the scene, Kevin having retrieved his gun. They stood there in stunned silence, not knowing what to do.

Faust then looked over, and saw his son with his Ally. He then suddenly grabbed Mephista from under the arms, trapping her, as he held her in front of the duo.

"Now!" He shouted, Wolf's voice coming through now. "Don't worry about me!"

A glow began to come over Faust's form, making it dissipate slowly as Mephista struggled in his grasp. Kevin stood in great hesitation, not wanting to shoot his father, as Kuuga hesitated as well.

"Let me go!…" Faust cried out as he held the other Arch-Grongi. "Let me goooooooo!"

Kevin looked on helplessly, as Faust gave him a stern look. "Son…listen to me…there are bigger things at stake here than you and me…the fate of countless families lies in both of your hands… your duty is to them, not to someone who should have stayed dead in the first place!…Do your duty!…DO YOUR DUTY, GODDAMN YOU!"

Kevin nodded lightly, tears beginning to well up under his helmet, as he looked over and nodded to Kuuga. Kuuga nodded back, and began to summon the energy for her bow weapon, as Kevin readied his large gun.

"I love you, Kevin…" Wolf softly spoke his last words, in Faust's form. Kevin nodded quickly, and let a barrage of lasers fly, as Kuuga launched a powerful energy arrow from her bow. The combined power of the two weapons slammed into both of them. Faust made no noise as Mephista shrieked under the incredible pain of the blow. Within seconds, the physical forms of both Arch-Grongi were completely destroyed.

"Rose, look!" Aida's voice called from inside of Kuuga. She quickly looked up to see a ball of light flying around.

"It is the spirit of Mephista!" Aida called out again. "Absorb her, quickly!"

Kuuga nodded as she held out her right hand, trapping the spirit in a powerful beam. Within seconds, the struggling Arch-Grongi's spirit was sucked down towards Kuuga's form, as it was soon absorbed into her being.

As this happened, Kevin kneeled by the ashes that remained of Faust's physical form. He took off his helmet, as he scooped up some of the ashes, holding them with teary eyes.

"Dad…" He spoke gently. "As far as I'm concerned, that one good deed you performed, erased every bad deed you ever did in your life…thank you…thank you so much…" He nuzzled the ashes lightly, before letting them blow away with the wind.

Rose, who had just changed back from Kuuga, walked over to his side.

"Well…at least we don't have to worry about Mephista anymore…but there's just one more thing."

"What's that?" Kevin asked, wiping away his tears.

"Where the hell did Faust's spirit go?"…


	10. A New Legend

Kevin sat solemnly on the same couch from before, inside the McCloud household. He was lightly bruised and beaten as Krystal treated some of his wounds, but that was not at the forefront of his mind now. He had just related the story of what had recently happened in last battle to everyone around who would listen.

Rose sat on the opposite end with Amy. The little cougar girl, who now looked up to Rose as a kind of big sister, watched Kevin with a slightly saddened look on her face. She was certainly no stranger to losing family, so she empathized with him in a big way. Rose sighed as she gently patted Amy, looking just as solemn as her friend.

"I can't believe he'd do something like that…" Fox spoke softly, pacing around the room a bit. "In all the years I knew Wolf O'Donnel, the last thing I'd ever consider him doing is something noble…"

Krystal nodded softly to her husband as she cleaned some of Kevin's scrapes. "I think it goes to show you once more that the bond of family can overcome even the greatest shadows of this universe."

"Still…" Kevin spoke softly as he lowered his head. "I just can't believe he's already gone, again…I never even got to say hello to him…or goodbye…" Another tear welled up in his eye once more.

"Kevin…" His adopted father, Ned, walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think what he did was for the best in the long run. Think about it. If he had stayed alive, he still would have been struggling for control with that creature inside of him. I mean, sure, he won control for that moment, but it probably wouldn't have lasted."

Ned sighed as he rubbed his son's shoulder. "I think he realized that he had to repair the damage that those Arch-Grongi fellows had already inflicted on him, and the ones they harmed, in any way he could. He sacrificed himself, to give you and Rose an even better chance to save everyone else. And in the end, that's what's important."

Kevin nodded slowly and looked up to his living father. "You're right…"

Ned smiled a bit. "You know, I was against your getting involved in all of this fighting, with Rose and everything else. But I think Wolf realized what you were capable of long before I started to…I think, in a way, he saw you needed to be encouraged, and not held back, like I tried to do with you." He sighed a bit. "And in that regard, I think that made him the better father."

"Aw, Dad…" Kevin got up and hugged Ned. "You're a great dad…you took me in, even knowing who I was, and where I came from. I don't know if anyone else would have…you took a chance on me, and I think that makes you the best father around here."

Kevin smiled and nodded silently. "Thank you…son."

The two hugged for a few more seconds, as Rose looked on fondly. Fox kneeled by the couch and patted her back, as Krystal smiled up at two, her med kit still out on the table.

Moments after this touching display, Fang came into the room, tapping Fox on the shoulder.

"Hey Fox…" He spoke, gently, trying not to abruptly break the moment.

"What is it, Fang…" Fox replied, not completely paying attention at the moment as he kneeled next to his daughter.

"Ricky's come back…" Fang simply spoke as he stood over him.

Fox's eyes shot wide open upon hearing this, getting up and walking for the front door, as Krystal looked on at her husband quizzically. Rose got up slowly as Kevin rose gently, thanking Krystal for treating him.

Fox walked past Jimmy, who was repairing some of the M3 unit for his resting Father, his mother watching him with interest.

Fox and Fang walked outside first, seeing the cheetah standing out in the front yard of the home, just staring at everyone.

"Ricky!" Fox shouted as he walked towards his assistant. "Where the hell were you? A lot has happened since your vanishing, and we've got a ton of work to d-"

He was interrupted when Ricky suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off his feet.

"RICKY!" Fang shouted in shock, pulling out his blaster, as Fox grunted and gurgled in the cheetah's grasp. Rose ran out upon hearing Fang shout, and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Dad!" She screamed.

"The time has come to end this charade…" Ricky growled in his true voice, tossing Fox aside, as if he were nothing but a doll. Fox grunted as he crashed into a tree near the house.

"Fox!" Krystal shouted as she saw this, running out to her husband's side.

"Damn it Ricky…" Fox grunted again as he slowly got up with his wife's help. "First you disappear without warning, now you attack me…Is this how you repay me? After all that time I looked after you, when I saved you on that ship?"

Ricky laughed, almost demonically, as he grinned and narrowed his eyes, which were now glowing without pupils. "You mortals…so easily fooled by what you see. You don't even recognize the dead when they're right in front of your eyes."

"Oh my god…" Rose saw her marked hand glowing. She clapped her hands over her muzzle, as the realization hit her. "It's him! HE's the third Arch-Grongi we've been looking for!"

Ricky slowly turned his attentions towards her. "You're very sharp. Perhaps that's why the troublesome Oorgi I wish to eliminate resides in your bloodline."

Rose slowly backed up as the Cheetah slowly walked towards her. "We can do this one of two ways…you can either surrender your spirit, and that of your precious Oorgi to me for absorption…or you can resist, and I'll be forced to break open your flimsy mortal form and scoop them out of you."

"I think we both know which option I'm going to take…" The scarlet vixen responded, holding up her fist, as Kuuga's symbol glowed on the back.

Ricky's smile slowly faded. "You're quite the fearless type, child, and I respect you for that…but you're not that smart." He held out his arms as a fierce red glow came over his body. Rose stood, as her eyes widened in a combination of amazement and horror, as Ricky's mortal disguise began to crack apart.

"During the time that my late colleagues were keeping you busy, I was slowly merging the spirits of the remaining grongi with my own being." He spoke intensely, the true voice of Zagi coming through. "Consequently, I am more powerful than Faust and Mephista combined."

Rose swallowed as Zagi's true form emerged from a flash of light, obliterating his mortal façade. He flexed his wings as his muscles bulged out even more, looking especially powerful and intimidating.

"Face it, child…" Zagi growled. "For the first time in this useless mission of yours, you now face a battle you cannot win!"

"Don't count your aparoids before they hatch, asshole!" A voice suddenly shouted out. Zagi looked over Rose's shoulder, as Kevin suddenly ran out, in his full M3 gear. He promptly fired a barrage of lasers from his Gatling gun, each one smashing into Zagi's belly. Zagi was caught off guard by the attack, as he growled and was thrown back.

Zagi landed in the middle of the street, as smoke came off his body. He rose onto his feet once more, and slowly shook his head.

"Entertaining…" He grinned lightly. "But equally pointless, I'm afraid…" He stood to his side, and fired an immense red beam from his left hand. It soared towards the McCloud house, ready to obliterate the structure.

Before it did, though, Rose had quickly raised her hand to the sky, yelling "KUUGA!" Within seconds, the light came over her, and transformed her. She was now the Oorgi warrior, who was now protecting the house with an energy shield from her hands.

Kevin ran out in front of Kuuga, and hurled a grenade at Zagi. It exploded right on the Arch-Grongi's chest, as he growled and grunted. His chest burned slightly as he backed off and used his powers to douse the flame.

Kuuga eased off on the energy shield as Zagi was distracted. She then reached up and made her sword materialize in her right hand brandishing it slowly. Zagi responded by reaching out with his own right hand, a staff with a scythe-like blade appearing from a black energy source.

"This is your moment of truth, Child!" Rose's conscious heard her grandmother speaking. "You have the opportunity to defeat this evil creature, take all the Grongi souls he's collected, and end this conflict! Do your best, Rose!"

Kuuga nodded slowly as Kevin backed her up with a barrage of fire from his Gatling gun. Zagi slashed through the laser blasts easily with his weapon, as Kuuga rushed over to meet him with her sword.

Crowds gathered to watch on the streets now, keeping their distance as the two clashed blades. Zagi came at Kuuga with a downward slash, as she brought up her sword to block it, and kicked him away. She gracefully swung her weapon from side to side, twirling it up towards Zagi, as he blocked with his staff.

He twirled his own weapon, throwing Kuuga off-balance before jabbing the end of the staff into her stomach. He followed it up quickly with a jump kick to her chin. Kuuga grunted and fell back as Kevin ran in to attack, his blade weapon now attached.

The blade whirred to life once more, as Kevin swung for the Arch-Grongi's neck. Zagi quickly blocked the attack by suddenly making a second staff appear from his original. He blocked the blade, as he then used his power to turn the staffs into twin black swords.

Zagi's muscles bulged with his newfound power, as he swung his left blade over to Kevin, slashing him across the chest plate. He then followed it up with a swing towards the recovering Kuuga with his right sword.

Kuuga quickly deflected the attack, before she violently slashed at him diagonally, from left to right. She was madly trying to score a hit on him at this point, as he simply sidestepped and parried with both of his swords. He then twirled both swords above his head, and created a black energy wave. It nearly cut through Kuuga's blade as she blocked it.

It was then that Zagi quickly took to the sky. Kevin fired away with his gun, but to no avail, as the Arch-Grongi weaved to avoid each shot. He then put away his swords, and held out his palms, balls of black energy forming in them. He hurled one at Kuuga as she took to the sky as well, avoiding the ball as it smashed into the road below, making a huge crater. He then hurled the other one at Kevin, who ran over to get any innocent bystanders out of the way. The ball crashed violently into the ground as the force threw him, smashing into a tree.

Kuuga flew straight towards Zagi as he angrily fired a few more beams at her. She avoided each one, flexing her wings out as she flew in with her sword out. She thrust it at Zagi as he tried to move aside, only to end up with the tip of it in his side.

Zagi roared a bit in pain as some of his blood began to seep out. He then pulled out and swiped at Kuuga, who simply flew away from him. The Arch-Grongi growled as he summoned even more power from the Grongi spirits inside of him. Instead of manifesting any of their abilities, he was using their energy to increase his own abilities hundred-fold. His muscles increased in size once again, as did his wingspan, as he angrily launched another array of beam attacks at the swift Oorgi.

Kuuga then quickly summoned her bow. She held out her arms, and pulled back, before launching an energy arrow at him. It didn't work though, as Zagi simply slashed it in half with one of his big claws.

Kevin slowly removed his helmet as he recovered from the last attack, watching all this happen as he stood there, wondering what to do know. Nothing he could do was hurting this creature…but still, he HAD to find away.

Before he could even begin to think of something, however, a ringing went through his ears. He rubbed one of them a bit, before he heard a voice call to him.

"Son…"

Kevin gasped as he turned around. "Dad!"

The Ghost of Wolf O'Donnell stood right before Kevin's eyes, visible only to him as he smiled. "Yes Kevin…I'm here."

"We both are…" Another familiar voice called to Kevin, as Myra's ghost walked out to meet Wolf.

"Mom!" Kevin exclaimed, already getting emotional again. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it, Son…" Wolf smiled. "After my sacrifice, Your mom was already in this new world, waiting for me to join her…Ever since my first death, I wandered in darkness. My existence was without purpose, without meaning."

"But thanks to you, Kevin…" Myra smiled, continuing for her lover. "Wolf re-discovered himself, and found a purpose…one greater than even I could have imagined."

Kevin nodded. "Protecting me, right?"

Wolf smiled. "More than that, son…Providing you as well…"

Kuuga continued to fight with Zagi, landing on the ground. Zagi soon followed suit, trying to finish her off with a strong beam of black energy. He fired it from both of his hands, as The Oorgi caught it in an energy shield. She stood there, holding back the strength of the attack.

Myra's spirit smiled to Kevin. "You were trying to figure out where Faust's spirit had gone, right?"

Kevin nodded wordlessly.

Myra motioned to Kevin's right side. "Well Kevin, you need look no further than your right hand…"

Kevin blinked a bit as he took off his glove, and looked at the front of his hand, then the back. His eyes opened widely, as he saw a symbol on the back of his hand, very similar to Kuuga's.

"You see son…" Wolf spoke again. "My actions inspired Faust…his mind was opened to all of the wonderful things that mortals are capable of…and he now thinks that those things are worth protecting. That's why he's now reformed, and rejoined his Oorgi brethren. He wants to join in the fight with Kuuga against the Grongi, and for this task he has decided to merge with your bloodline."

"Wow…" Kevin simply responded, looking over the symbol some more.

Wolf spoke once more. "He has given up the name of Faust…he now wishes to be called by his old Oorgi name…Noa."

Kevin looked up and nodded slowly to his father, as he spoke one last time. "I would say 'Make me proud' right about here, son…but the truth is, you already have." He smiled gently.

"We love you, and believe in you Son…" Myra smiled as she spoke once more. "Now go and fight for your home!"

Kevin nodded gently, as the image of his parents slowly faded. He then turned to see Kuuga bravely holding back the strong beam that Zagi was shooting towards her. He walked, slowly and intently, closer to the area of the action, many of the onlookers watching him now.

He then slowly raised his right hand to the sky, and called out the name of his new Oorgi partner.

"NOA!"

A BRIGHT flash of light came over his body, and began to change his form. The display was so impressive, even Zagi called off his attack, watching along with Kuuga. Everyone else watched in awe, including Kevin's adopted father, Ned, who gripped both of his hands hard, as his jaw dropped.

The light soon vanished, as a new figure stood in Kevin's place, the M3 armor discarded at all of his sides. The figure was an impressively built Male Oorgi, with the same white fur and flowing hair as Kuuga. Long gauntlets covered his wrists, as he wore an ornate chest plate, shorts, and shin-guards, also like Kuuga's. Both of his eyes glowed impressively, as his large, angelic wings flexed in back of him. It was the true form of the Oorgi warrior, Noa.

"You…" Zagi growled as he realized who this Oorgi used to be. "You mortal-loving traitor!"

His attention completely shifted from Kuuga, as he roared, and charged towards Noa. Noa was ready for him though, as he ran to face Zagi head on. He ducked down slightly as Zagi lunged for him with his right fist, flexing his wings as he caught Zagi around the neck with his right arm. He shifted his weight, and completely flipped the Arch-Grongi over, making him fall and tumble onto his back.

Everyone watched, as Kuuga ran in to help her new Oorgi ally. She lunged in and punched Zagi across the face as he got back onto his feet. Noa followed it up with a jump kick on Zagi's chest.

Zagi fell back, before he eyed the two Oorgi. Defiantly, he flexed his wings, and roared fiercely. Kuuga and Noa were unfazed, however, as they prepared for the next attack. Zagi lunged at them again, only to have Kuuga duck down and punch him right in the stomach. Zagi fell back, and then lunged again, as Noa lunged out and smashed him with both fists on his chest. He then pulled back with his fists, hitting the Arch Grongi again.

Kuuga then watched as her new partner hold up his right fist. Every inch of the fist began to glow with a firey energy, as he growled, "Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh…" in a very calm, concentrating way, his voice very deep and imposing now.

Noa then held out his fist, and spun, as Zagi tried to hit him again. Noa promptly smashed into his gut with the glowing fist, and at the same time released the energy. The beam launched Zagi high into the sky, as Noa kept shooting the energy out.

Zagi kept on flying higher, and higher into the atmosphere, before he realized he was being quickly pushed out of it. He soon found himself hurtling into outer space, before he finally was able to break up the beam. The Arch-Grongi panted heavily as he was absolutely stupefied by this development, his heavy breathing echoing in the vastness of the cosmos, as he floated over the planet's surface.

"We shall NOT be denied!" He yelled down at the planet. "Two Oorgi by themselves can't make a difference, no matter how powerful! You mortals are all mine!" He then gathered all the energy in his body into his hands, gearing for a major last-ditch attack.

Back on the surface, Kuuga and Noa were already prepared to strike back. Everyone watched as the two waved their arms around, gathering all of their power. They then launched two impressive beams of light energy out towards space.

Zagi soon launched his attack afterward, a huge beam of black energy shooting down towards the planet's surface. It soon met up with the combined light beams, and they crashed together, a major tug-of-war ensuing.

A huge series of explosions rocked the skies as the beams went back and forth. Zagi's beam gained strength at first, but its power was desperate, and shaky in its ability to sustain. Kuuga and Noa, however, had the power of faith on their side. Faust's conversion was further proof of how there could be good in almost anything. Both Rose and Kevin realized at that moment, that if one had the capacity for evil, why could one not have the capacity for good, also? If one could believe in darkness, one must also believe in light at the same time.

This realization that there would always be light left in this world, no matter how much darkness tried to cover it, helped to bolster their faith, the very same faith Aida spoke of, in a way they had never felt before.

The skies filled with more explosions as Kuuga and Noa both growled and pushed on in concentration, fueling the growing energy of the beams as they soon began to overpower Zagi's beam.

Zagi grunted as he struggled to hold back the combined beams. It was all for naught, however, as they got closer and closer to him in space.

"NO….NO….NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

The beam soon overpowered him, and came over his form. He held out his arms, and roared out in pain, as the combined beams obliterated His physical form. A great explosion could bee seen from almost all over the planet, as the blast sent a kind of halo across space.

Noa simply stood now, and held out his right hand, pulling in Zagi's spirit. Kuuga held out her own paws, as the remaining Grongi spirits were pulled down towards her. Noa soon absorbed Zagi, ending the Arch-Grongi race once and for all, as he then helped Kuuga send the remaining Grongi spirits to be re-sealed once more.

Silence ruled the air for a few moments, as bystanders came out of their hiding places, slowly realizing all was safe. They then shifted their attention to Kuuga and Noa, and began to cheer their saviors. The two Oorgi simply stood there, acknowledging the praise of the New Cerinian people.

"You have both done well…" Rose and Kevin heard Aida speak, as they slowly shifted back into their original forms. "Once again, innocent lives are safe from the threat of the Grongi for another 500 years. The time has come for the Oorgi protectors to rest once more. Live well, both of you."

Rose and Kevin watched as their symbols vanished from their hands slowly. The work of Kuuga and Noa was all done now. They were sad to see them go, Kevin especially, since he had only just gotten to know Noa. But they accepted that the Oorgi warriors were no longer needed.

Rose looked over to Fox, and Krystal, who were holding Amy. She nodded to them gently, as they smiled warmly to her. Kevin also saw Ned giving him a congratulatory smile and thumbs-up, obviously very proud of him as well. Noa simply nodded, as Jimmy, Fulton, Topaz, Fang, and the others, were all joining in the cheers.

Once more, all was right with the Cerinian spiritual world.

Stay tuned…epilogue on the way!


	11. The Road Less Traveled

A few months had gone by since the defeat of Zagi, and the re-sealing of the Grongi. During that time, both Rose and Kevin had attained a certain degree of celebrity among their peers, and other assorted adults. News reporters flocked to their homes, traveling theologians from Corneria asked them constantly about the source of their now-dormant powers.

But their respective families did their part to keep this from going all to the heads of their respective teens. Ned had to keep Kevin under tight wraps for quite some time. Anyone wanting to see Kevin had to through him first.

As for Rose, Fox even went as far as to scare off one nosy reporter with a (unloaded) blaster. All this, of course, flattered Rose but she hoped that this would all blow over soon. She would soon get her wish, when a border dispute suddenly broke out near a neighboring planet, diverting all attention from New Cerinia.

Kevin was especially relieved when all the attention ceased. He could now submit his application to the Academy in peace. The new recruitment rounds were going to start in just a few weeks now.

Rose had considered joining her friend, along with Jimmy, who had also submitted his own papers. She was in the process of filling her own out, with a little assistance from her parents, and was one day away from turning them in…

That was, until she had another vivid dream, one night.

She was asleep in her room, Amy now sleeping two rooms down, before the light entered her subconscious once more. In her mind, she was wandering through the now familiar midpoint between life and death. It was there that she found Kuuga standing in front of her, with another familiar figure.

"Grandma!" Rose exclaimed. Surprised, but happy to see her again at the same time.

"Hello once more, child." Aida smiled to her. "Congratulations once more on what you've accomplished."

Rose walked closer to her and Kuuga. "What have you brought me back here for?" She tilted her head. "I thought we sealed all of the Grongi."

"You did child." Aida nodded. "And that seal will stay in place for another 500 years, just like before."

Rose shrugged. "So?…Why did you bring me here then? It wasn't just to say congratulations, was it?"

"You're very perceptive, Rose." Aida smiled lightly. "I brought you here to bring you a fair warning…"

"A warning?" Rose pulled back, as her eyes widened a bit.

Kuuga nodded gently as Aida spoke for her. "It concerns the remnants of the Arch-Grongi leader, Zagi."

"But Grandma…" Rose interrupted. "You know both Kevin and I destroyed him, and Kevin absorbed his spirit."

"That is true." Aida spoke again. "You did defeat him, and Noa did indeed absorb him forever…but that was merely his spiritual core." Kuuga flexed her wings slowly as Aida spoke for her. "If you recall, his physical form was obliterated just outside of the planet's atmosphere…"

"And?" Rose furrowed her brow.

"An Arch Grongi's physical remains will disintegrate inside of an atmosphere once its manifestation is destroyed." Aida continued. "In space, however, it's different. They break down very slowly, not to mention that pieces can be scattered across the galaxy."

Rose opened her mouth slowly. "Are you saying there's some way in which Zagi can come back?"

"We're not sure yet…" Aida shifted her position a bit, pacing a little. "All we know is that Noa has contacted Kuuga, and told her that he can sense parts of Zagi's consciousness in the universe. Just little pieces, mind you, bit still enough to cause concern."

Rose thought this over. "Well, if it was Noa that sensed all this, why didn't bring Kevin to this place as well?"

Aida walked closer to the teen vixen. "Kevin has his own path to pursue in life. Noa has stressed this to me numerous times. He does not wish to interfere with that."

Rose looked to her grandmother. "You mean, going to the Academy?"

Aida nodded slowly.

The scarlet vixen thought this over. "So what about my path? I'm planning to go to the Academy to, you know…are you gonna interfere with that."

Aida sighed and rubbed her shoulders a bit. "Child, please…understand your position." She walked around her granddaughter a bit. "You are one of the last of your kind in life…and like it or not, your Cerinian mother is not going to live forever…"

"Grandma, I'm only half-Cerinian…" Rose shot back.

"That is still better than no Cerinians, Rose…" Aida answered her, firmly. "And you have a unique position over the child of Topaz, the only other half-Cerinian." She gripped Rose's shoulders. "You are the daughter of a wise Cerinian mystic, and the carrier of Kuuga's spirit on top of that."

"What do you want from me, Grandma?" Rose was getting impatient. "Do you want me to stay at home all my life?"

Aida's look softened a bit. "Not all your life, Rose…just until you've learned enough." She rubbed Rose's shoulders again. "Learned about our past, our people, and our ways…the Cerinian ways."

Rose looked right into Aida's eyes. "How do I go about doing that?"

Aida smiled. "The answer lies in your own home, Rose…your mother has much she's wanted to tell you about her old life on Cerinia, but until now, she's let you go your own way in life."

Kuuga looked on, flexing her wings as Aida spoke.

"I think the time has come to finally engage her, Rose…" Aida spoke to her granddaughter once more. "She has all this knowledge inside of her. Knowledge that could be very valuable in case Zagi does revive somehow…and she wants to give it to you. Why not engage her?"

Rose thought this over, and nodded slowly. "I see you're point. I'll think about it, Grandma."

"Don't think for too long, child." Aida smiled as she began to vanish with Kuuga. "A few moments of thinking can easily become a lifetime of wasted opportunity if you're not careful."

Rose smiled and nodded, waving to her grandmother, as she vanished with Kuuga once more.

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"Are you sure about this?" Kevin asked Rose as she walked, along with Jimmy. It was the next day, following her dream, as she explained it all to the two other teens.

"I'm sure…" Rose nodded gently "Aida made a good point last night. I think I need to go back to my Cerinian roots for a while, in case anything should ever come concerning Zagi."

"Aw man…" Jimmy lowered his head a bit as he walked. "I was so looking forward to going to the academy with you, Rose. I was looking forward to racing cadet ships with you."

Rose giggled. "Cheer up Jimmy…I'm sure you'll make other friends to do that with. Besides, you can't go around clinging to your 'cousin' forever, can you?"

"No…" Jimmy chuckled a bit. "I suppose not…"

"While I share in Jimmy's disappointment…" Kevin spoke up. "I can see the logic in you wanting to stay behind. I hope it all goes well for you."

Rose patted his shoulder some. "It won't be permanent, Kevin…Once I've learned what I need from my mother, I'll join you all out there in space as soon as I can…that's a promise."

Kevin nodded softly. "Ok then, Rose…go and do what you need to."

Rose smiled as she hugged both her friends, and walked back to the area behind her home. Sure enough, she found Krystal, who was once again attending to some of her plants, making sure they were getting just the right amount of vitamins.

"Mom?…" Rose slowly approached her mother.

"Oh, Rose…" Krystal smiled to her daughter as she turned her head, still on her knees. "I left your application on the table. If you could be so kind as to put it in the mailbox for me…"

"Yeah…" Rose walked closer. "That's what I wanna talk to you about…"

"Oh?" Krystal perked up a bit as she stood to face her daughter. "What's wrong, hon?"

Rose sighed gently. "I had another vision last night. Grandma and Kuuga came to visit me again."

"Really?" Krystal tilted her head. "Whatever for, I wonder?"

Rose twiddled her thumbs a bit as she looked down. "Well…they said there's a chance that Zagi might not be completely gone…" She looked to her mother's stunned, silent face, before continuing. "It's not definite, they said…there's just a chance."

"I see…" Krystal simply responded.

"There's not only that, but…" Rose put her hands behind her back. "Well, with everything that's happened here, people are gonna get really curious. Curious about our kind…about old Cerinia, it's past, it's spirituality…and the only ones who really know about it are you and aunt Topaz…"

Krystal blinked a bit. "What are you trying to tell me, Rose?"

Rose looked down a little more as she stood. "Mom…for such a long time, you've simply let me go on my own path, not binding me to your past…your Cerinian heritage."

"Rose…" Krystal placed a paw on her daughter's shoulder. "All I wanted was for you to fit in a little better with the people of this new world. I remember how rough it was for me to fit in with the Cornerians, among others, after what happened on Cerinia, and the Dinosaur planet."

"I know…" Rose smiled a bit as she looked back up at her mother. "But things are different now. The attack of the Grongi, and the appearance of Kuuga, as well as the return of Noa…all those events are going to spark a real interest in Cerinian culture, and spirituality. These people are going to start asking questions, they're gonna need a teacher…"

She humbly lowered her head to her mother, still smiling as tear ran down her cheek. "And I think with all I can learn from you…I can become one of those teachers."

Krystal was stunned at what her daughter now desired. She stood still for a moment, before the realization of this all sank into her…her daughter now wanted to learn the ways of the old Cerinians, willingly.

Happy tears began to slowly stream down Krystal's face, as she pulled her child in for a hug.

"Oh Rose…" she spoke softly. "Words can't describe how happy you've made me today…"

Rose nodded softly as she pulls back. "I hope you don't mind, but I told Kevin and Jimmy I'd go and join them, just as soon as my work is finished here."

"Of course I don't mind…" Krystal laughed happily, wiping a tear away. "You're a Cerinian, to be sure…but you're also a McCloud…it's only natural that you want to fly!"

Just as she spoke, her husband was now walking to the backyard slowly, observing this tender mother/daughter moment.

"What's going on here?" Fox enquired with a smile, looking to Krystal. "Experiencing empty nest syndrome already, hon?"

Krystal giggled a little, and walked over to her husband, as Rose stood at her side. She looked her father in the eyes with a smile.

"Dad…we need to talk…"

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A few days had passed, as the first group of New Cerinian youths walked into the special recruitment ships on the base. They were now moments away from taking off, and transporting them all to the academy very quickly. Among these first passengers, walking side by side, were Kevin and Jimmy.

Jimmy looked off to the side, seeing her mother, Topaz, waving to him with a big encouraging smile. She was proud that her little boy was finally growing up…not only that, but he reminded her so much of her father now…back when he was kind, caring soul. Fulton nodded him on encouragingly as well, confident now that his son possessed all of his own technical expertise.

Kevin walked on placidly, as he looked out and saw his adopted father standing near the ship. He looked down at the mark on his hand, the symbol of Noa having been painted there by Rose, as a reminder of what had happened, and where he came from. Ned simply waved his adopted son off with a smile, knowing now that the son of Wolf O'Donnell had his own destiny to pursue now. All he could do at this point was pray that it took him to a better place than it did his father, and his mother.

Kevin and Jimmy soon disappeared onto the ship, finding their seats with the other aspiring cadets. Both of their minds were fixated on the friend they were leaving behind…at least for now.

The ship then fired its thrusters, as all the other non-passengers left the hangar. It took off slowly from the ground, before quickly exiting the atmosphere, and heading off into space.

As all this was happening, Fox was sitting on a chair outside of his home, with little Amy sitting on his lap. The two watched on, happy and mesmerized at the same time, as the figure of Rose McCloud approached a pair of lanterns, set up by her mother.

The flames in the lantern shimmered as they illuminated the nearly 18-year-old Vixen. She was not dressed in her usual clothes, but now dressed in traditional Cerinian garb, specially woven by her mother. Krystal soon appeared afterward, dressed in her old Cerinian garb as well, which Fox remembered well from their first encounter. She held a wooden bowl in her paws, filled with what looked like a kind of white paint.

"The voices and spirits of our people echo inside of you, Rose…" Krystal spoke solemnly, picking up a paintbrush as she dipped it into the bowl. "And from this point, they will echo inside you forever." She then picked up the brush, and looked for a spot to begin. "Listen to them, and gain strength…"

With that, she began to paint all manner of Cerinian symbols on parts of her daughter's body. Rose simply stood still, remembering the seriousness of this ritual, as she tried not to giggle from the brush's tickling. As Krystal painted, the substance bonded to her fur, and changed its color on certain spots. The tattoos settled in, and slowly became permanent on Rose.

The scarlet vixen gave a light smile as she faced her mother, standing still. Krystal returned the smile, as she walked over to what looked like a pile of blankets. Fox watched on with Amy, as Krystal began to pull away many of these blankets, revealing something underneath.

Rose kept herself from gasping aloud, as her mother slowly revealed a staff. It was not Krystal's own staff, or even Topaz's…it was a brand new staff, fashioned with gems that Krystal created, using fragments of her own staff as a source…just enough not to weaken the old staff, of course.

Krystal slowly approached her daughter, and held the new staff at her side. "Within time, my knowledge shall become your own…my power will increase your power…remember to always use it wisely, and justly, Rose…"

She then slowly held out the staff to her daughter. Rose nodded gently with the same small smile.

"I will mother…I promise…" She then reached out with her own paw. Slowly, she pulled the staff from her mother's grasp, taking possession of the weapon for the first time. She held it at her side, and examined it, before looking to her mother.

"This is the beginning of a new life for you, Rose…" Krystal smiled. "As well as the beginning of a new spiritual line for New Cerinia. May it shine brightly, and continue to illuminate this new home of ours, for many generations to come."

Rose nodded and smiled as she looked back up to the sky, remembering those who helped her reach this point…she knew she could somehow succeed in this brave new world she had introduced herself too…with a little assistance, of course… as she could, even now, feel the warm glow of Kuuga's eyes upon her…watching her now, and forevermore.

THE END

(Author's note: I may or may not decide to continue this another day…as of this point, I plan on taking a hiatus from making Starfox fics. I hope you all enjoyed this story, and I would like to thank all of you who voiced your praise and support throughout my process of creating this, and my other stories. It's your support that kept me going right to the end

Thank you all again so very much!)


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